Snape's new Snake
by bexstar888
Summary: Harry is sorted into Slytherin, and Snape finds out some disturbing information about the boy-who-lived. What happens when Snape discovers Harry's secrets, his talents and his temper? WARNING: Contains mention of neglet/child abuse by the Dursleys
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - The Welcome.

Harry stood mesmerised in the Great Hall, his mouth slack as he gazed up at the starry ceiling. Professor McGonagall placed a four legged stool in front of the gathered first years and then put an old pointed wizards hat on top of it. Harry looked around confusedly as the hat sang the strangest song, about all the houses at Hogwarts. One by one, Professor McGonagall called his fellow first years forward and the hat cried out the name of the house they were to call their home for the next 7 years.

Finally, Harry's name was called and he stepped forward, the Great Hall suddenly seeming much quieter than before. Harry hoped it was just his imagination.

Hagrid had told him about his fame when he had taken him to Diagon Alley, he had been overwhelmed and so had hidden out on the train, in order to avoid pointed stares and uncomfortable questions, he didn't like attention. With a deep breath, Harry stepped forward and sat on the stool. The hat was placed on his head, which, due to his small stature came down almost to cover his eyes. Then the hat began talking presumably to itself. Harry didn't like the sound of it, by his reckoning the hat wouldn't put him anywhere! Panic began to set in as the seconds turned into minutes and still the hat had not made its decision. Harry peeked out at the students lining the hall, a few were looking concerned, a few confused, as the time rolled on, students began whispering to each other. Harry screwed his eyes shut against the threat of tears at the thought of having to return to the Dursleys and in a tiny voice, he begged the hat to place him anywhere, he didn't mind where, as long as it was _somewhere_.

"Well, well, well. In that case, the best place to put you then, would be… Slytherin!"

Harry blew out a shaky breath of relief, he could stay! He jumped off the stool and belatedly realised that nobody clapped as he walked over towards the Slytherin table. He was sure they had clapped for everyone else, even the other Slytherin first years. He looked around nervously as he took his seat and looked up at the Head Table, the Headmaster nodded slightly at Harry and then began to clap enthusiastically, the rest of the teachers quickly followed suit and eventually, the stunned students began to clap, confusion still plastered all over their faces.

"Everyone thought you'd be in Gryffindor, like your parents were." A blond haired boy sat next to him stated.

"Oh." Replied Harry. What else could he say to that?

OoOo

Severus had difficulty keeping the surprise from his face. Harry Potter had been placed in Slytherin! In his House! He watched the boy sit down next to his godson in the silenced hall, his body oozing a nervousness he hadn't expected to see in the-boy-who-lived. As the feast began, Severus kept glancing over to where Potter and Draco sat. Potter's behaviour seemed…odd to say the least. He waited until everyone else began eating before he timidly reached out and grabbed a small amount of food, then ate it quickly as if it would disappear. He saw Draco shoot Potter an odd look, then gesture towards the ample pile of food on the table. Although Severus could not hear what was said, he did see the small raven haired boy smile sheepishly at Draco before reaching out once again and taking a little more food.

"Well, that was certainly a surprise, wouldn't you say, Severus?" Asked Minerva, drawing his attention away from the students.

"Indeed."

"He's small for his age, probably the smallest student in the school." Minerva said, seemingly deep in thought.

The woman had a point, Severus had noticed the boys height, or lack thereof, as soon as he had entered the Hall. It was unusual, neither of his parents were short, James especially had been rather tall and well built, but the boy was small and scraggly and seemed very… timid. Severus mentally shook himself, he would not waste time thinking on the spoilt brat, he was probably just upset about being sorted into the house of the snakes, and he was probably just waiting for his growth spurt. Yes, that's all it was. Without further ado, Severus tucked into his food and smiled to himself as he thought of the rude awakening the brat would get when he realised Severus would not show him any favour for being famous.

OoOo

Harry stepped into the Slytherin common room with the rest of his house and followed Draco to sit on the rug in front of a blazing fire, awaiting the arrival of their Head of House. They did not have to wait long. Professor Snape stalked into the room, his black robe billowing out behind him. He looked very intimidating, and someone who Harry definitely didn't want to get on the bad side of.

"Welcome to Slytherin!" Professor Snape began, his voice silky smooth.

"As first years, there will be much to get used to, however, you will be expected to learn quickly, as I do not tolerate rule-breaking, especially through ignorance. You all have a booklet on your beds containing the general school rules but also the rules of the House. I expect you to read it thoroughly and assimilate the information. I will stress some of the most important rules now. The most important thing to remember is this - your House is your home whilst at Hogwarts, your fellow Slytherins your family, and in Slytherin, we _always_ look after our own. Help each other, and stick by each other. The other houses do not generally like us, so it is imperative that we stick together. One struggles, we all struggle, one succeeds, we all succeed. Understood?"

Harry nodded quickly along with the rest of the firsties, Professor Snape peered at them all for a few moments before continuing;

"Bedtime for first years is 9pm Sunday to Thursday, 10pm Friday and Saturday. You will be expected to keep your rooms tidy and make your own beds, I will conduct an inspection of your rooms every Friday, anyone who fails to keep good hygiene can expect to receive a loss of privileges at the weekend, and will spend Saturday mornings learning how to clean properly. There is plenty of storage for all your belongings, they will also be inspected, your trunk is your own, anything inside your trunk is considered private and personal and will not be subject to inspection. That does not mean you throw your belongings in it willy nilly to avoid having to tidy your things! You will listen to and obey the prefects, and you will also have monthly meetings with myself to speak about your progress and any concerns you have. Ensure you read the notice board daily," he pointed to the left and everyone's eyes followed it to where the notice board stood.

"Conduct yourselves with dignity at all times and do not bring the proud House of Slytherin into disgrace. That will be all for tonight, I'm sure you will want to unpack and get settled in. Good night my little snakes." With that, the Professor turned, making his robes billow impressively around him before gracefully striding over to the portrait and disappearing behind it.


	2. Chapter 2 - The first week

Chapter 2 - The first week

Harry unpacked his things, which weren't many, being as neat and tidy as he could. The room he was in was warm and comfy, soft light and large deep green tapestries gave the place a homey feeling, and Harry decided he really liked it. His bed was large and comfy, with deep green drapes all around that could be closed for privacy. This was a stroke of luck, as Harry had been worried about his roommates reaction to the many scars hidden beneath his school robes.

"I can't believe you were sorted in to Slytherin Harry!" A dark skinned boy said to him. Harry turned to face the boy apprehensively but relaxed when he saw the boy smiling warmly.

"I'm Blaise Zabini." The boy held his hand out towards Harry.

"Harry Potter, obviously." Harry shook his hand and returned the smile. Another boy stepped forward and introduced himself as Teddy Knott, before turning and introducing himself to Draco Malfoy, who had already spoken to Harry at the welcoming feast.

With introductions done and belongings unpacked, Harry sat down on his bed and began to read the booklet containing all the school rules. It had been a long and exhausting day so Harry had no qualms when a prefect stuck his head in the door and announced it was bedtime. Harry nodded and began closing the drapes around his bed before getting changed. Draco and Teddy gave him a questioning look as he did so but said nothing. Harry quickly changed into a pair of dark jogging bottoms and faded grey t-shirt that were two sizes too big for him; they had belonged to his cousin Dudley first, (along with the rest of his clothes), then neatly folded his school robes and pulled back the drape to place them carefully on a chair beside his bed. Blaise, in the bed next to him looked up at Harry's re-emergence and gave him a horrified look before speaking,

"Is that what you wear to bed?!"

Harry looked down at his clothes, they weren't that bad were they? "Erm, yeah."

Then he quickly jumped back into his bed, hastily drawing the drape and pulling the covers over him. He did not want a conversation about his clothes. Not with anyone, not ever. At least his school robes fit him, he thought wistfully. Pity he hadn't had time to buy any other new clothes, not that he had much money anyways.

Apparently the 'Potter fortune' had been spent on properties and such providing safe houses for witches and wizards during the last war, leaving Harry with a meagre supply of galleons with which to buy his school things. Harry had never had anything before though, so it was nothing new to him. He did worry however, about how he was to pay for his school books over the coming years, and just hoped that he wouldn't grow too much to need to buy more school robes each year. With his head swimming about this new world he had been thrust in, he drifted off to sleep slowly.

Morning came bright and early, and Harry realised he was the first one up. He quickly gathered his things and headed for the bathroom, revelling in the fact that he could actually have a hot shower for once. Cold showers were all he ever got at the Dursleys, and only once a week at that. He hated being grubby all the time, Dudley pulling faces at him and calling him a smelly freak, Aunt Petunia telling him he wasn't worth wasting water on and turning her nose up at him. No, he was at Hogwarts now, and he was determined to make the most of it.

Ablutions completed, he emerged dressed in his school robes just as Draco entered the bathroom.

"You're up early Harry! You didn't have an accident did you?" Draco said jokingly.

"No!" Harry snapped defensively, before realising Draco meant it as a joke.

"Sorry, I'm a bit grouchy. You sleep well?" Harry quickly tried to cover his over-reaction.

"Chill Harry, it's fine. I slept pretty well, you?"

"Yeah, thanks." Harry replied, hiding a grimace as he recollected the nightmare he had woken from in the early hours. Pushing the latest of his frequent nightmares to the back of his mind he squared his shoulders and strolled back into his room as nonchalantly as he could to deposit his wash things away (neatly!) and gather his schoolbag, checking to make sure he had all the books he needed, then making his way down into the common room to wait for everyone else before heading off for breakfast.

OoOo

Harry sat between Draco and Teddy at breakfast, where Harry gaped at the wide variety of breakfast foods available, and the sheer amount! Even Dudley wouldn't be able to eat it all! He snagged a couple of pieces of toast and spread some jam on them before nibbling away at them quickly. He gave Draco a sheepish smile when the blond boy gave him a little sneer, Harry knew deep down that he didn't have to eat so quickly, he wasn't at the Dursleys anymore, but he had always had to eat his food quickly, when he got any, and old habits were hard to break. Harry re-doubled his efforts to appear used to eating at a table and did not make eye contact when his Head of House swooped through the hall handing out the class timetables, he just took his with a muffled 'thanks' and studied the document like it was the most interesting thing he had ever seen.

"We've got transfiguration first with the Gryffindors, then charms and history of magic." Said Teddy.

"My father says history of magic is taught by the most boring teacher ever!" A girl sat opposite them uttered, trying to join in with the boys' conversation.

"Yeah, Professor Binns my Mum said, he's a ghost!" Teddy stated.

"Well, we'd best get going then I suppose, don't want to be late for our first class do we?" Harry said, wondering what the hell 'transfiguration' was.

His relatives hadn't allowed him to look at any of his school books before dumping him at Kings Cross, and he had been busy trying to remember all the school rules last night. Everyone else began to gather their school bags and as their little group stood and exited the great hall, Harry felt deep gratitude that so far, people seemed to like him. He had friends for the first time in his entire life, and he decided he really liked having friends.

Teddy, Draco and Harry made their way across the busy hall to the transfiguration classroom and were about to enter when Teddy gave an audible groan as he searched frantically in his school bag.

"What's wrong?" Asked Harry.

"I can't find my quill and inkpot!"

"Did you put it in your bag before we left the dorm?"

"Yeah, but….I think….I think it must have fallen out somewhere." Teddy replied, showing Harry the hole he had just found in his book bag.

"Well, let's retrace our steps, maybe we can find them." Harry supplied, giving Teddy a reassuring smile.

Draco snorted next to them, "If you think I'm going to be late for our first lesson, you're gravely mistaken Potter." With that, Draco strode away and into the classroom.

Teddy's face paled considerably, so Harry gave him a nudge.

"Come on, quickly, let's go back to the Great Hall, see if your stuff's there." With that the two boys ran through the crowds of students as stealthily as they could.

Harry and Teddy burst through the door to the classroom, breathing heavily from running and looking round quickly, trying to find their teacher. Professor McGonagall was nowhere to be seen. Breathing a sigh a relief they quickly made their way to two empty desks near the front of the classroom. Before they managed to reach them however, a cat that had been sat on the teachers desk jumped towards them and transformed into the transfiguration teacher before their eyes. Harry's jaw dropped toward the floor in astonishment, while Teddy drew in a surprised breath.

"That was bloody brilliant!" Cried Teddy, clearly impressed. Harry was still doing a goldfish impression, unable to form coherent thoughts, never mind sentences.

"Thank you for that assessment Mr Knott, however, you are now ten minutes late for my class. Care to explain yourselves?"

"We, erm, got lost." Harry replied meekly, seeing the Professor's stern face.

"Well, see that it doesn't happen again, or you will find yourselves in detention."

With a muffled 'yes ma'am', the two boys made their way to their seats and listened intently for the rest of the class, hoping not to upset the stern Professor again.

They arrived at charms on time and set to work on mastering the 'wingardium leviosa' spell, as he worked, Harry could feel someone staring at him. He looked around and found the charms teacher watching him with a puzzled look on his face. Harry ducked his head and tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach. He hated people staring at him! He could feel his cheeks flush and gritted his teeth, turning back to his feather, he tried to concentrate on the charm once more.

By the end of the lesson, he had managed to get the feather a foot off the desk before it floated back down. It was by no means ideal, but Harry was immensely proud of the fact that he had done it at all. He had been nervous about his ability to do magic, having never had any instruction and knowing pretty much nothing about this new world he was in. Professor Flitwick had given him a sympathetic smile after his partially successful attempt, but Harry could see it was laced with disappointment. Harry couldn't understand why, at least his feather had floated, there were plenty of students in the class who hadn't even managed that!

History of magic was, just as the others had said, incredibly boring and Harry spent most of the lesson trying his hardest to stay awake. The dull monotonous tones of the ghost were sending students to sleep throughout the classroom, and at one point, soft snoring had been heard briefly before a surprised grunt and a few snickers. Clearly someone had been nudged out of their slumber by a classmate.

Finally, after what seemed like an age, the class was over and Harry and his friends made their way to lunch. After lunch was double potions. That meant Professor Snape. Harry didn't know what to think of his Head of House, the man had given him some odd looks since he had arrived here, but had not said anything to him, maybe if he tried really hard in potions, the man would be fair to him.

Harry sat in potions class listening to Professor Snape giving a speech about bottling fame and brewing glory and Harry was thinking this was definitely a class he wanted to do well in. It sounded interesting and definitely useful, unlike history of magic. He brought out of his musings by his name being called rather harshly. Oh, no, he'd messed up already!

"Yes sir?" Harry looked up with his most innocent expression plastered on his face.

"Our new… celebrity. Tell me, Mr Potter, do you believe yourself above needing instruction in my class?" Professor Snape sneered at him.

"No sir, I'm very much looking forward to receiving instruction in your class." Harry was sincere, but Snape looked angry.

"Detention Potter! I do not tolerate sarcasm from _any_ student. Famous or not. Stay after class."

"I wasn't…" Harry trailed off at the glare his Professor gave him. Great. The man hated him. This didn't bode well.

After receiving a lecture on basic ingredients and their uses, they were assigned to brew a cure for boils. Harry gathered the necessary ingredients and followed the instructions carefully, not giving Snape any further excuses to come down on him. _Maybe, if he brewed his potion perfectly, he might be able to get back into the man's good graces, not that he had been in his good graces before, but…oh hell, concentrate!_

Harry managed to brew the potion so it looked like the book described it and as the lesson drew to a close, he bottled and labelled it as instructed and handed it in to Professor Snape. The man snatched the bottle from him and looked at it quizzically, before grunting at Harry and motioning him to go back to workstation. As the other students left the classroom happy to be leaving the sarcastic, ill-tempered potions master behind, Harry sat nervously trying his best not to fidget. He could feel the man's eyes on him as he swept towards Harry, and Harry studiously examined his hands in his lap.

"Look at me, Mr. Potter," Professor Snape said in a commanding voice.

Harry complied slowly, not wanting to look into the black eyes that seemed to pierce his soul.

"If you ever speak to me like that again, young man, you will sorely regret it."

"I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to appear sarc-"

"Silence! I do not want to hear excuses from you. You will present yourself here at 7pm tonight for your detention. Do not be late."

"Yes sir," Harry said dejectedly, then taking his cue, hopped down from his stool, gathered his book bag and scurried from the room.


	3. Chapter 3 - Detentions and questions

Chapter 3 - Detention and questions.

At 6.50pm, Harry knocked on the door to the potions classroom. He figured it was better to arrive early. On hearing a gruff 'enter' he swung the door open cautiously and stepped inside the room. Snape was sat at his desk scribbling angrily with his quill.

"You're early. Sit." Snape said, without looking up or pausing from his work.

Harry took a seat towards the front and sat patiently for 10 minutes before Snape set down his quill and gazed down at Harry. Harry returned his gaze steadily, determined not to show the man how much he intimidated him. _Show no weakness! _

"Over there is a bucket of flobberworms. You are to cut off the heads, place them in the large opaque jar, then dice the worms into even pieces no larger than 5cm and place them in the clear jars. Understand?"

"Yes sir." Without waiting, Harry walked over to where the bucket was and set to his task.

OoOo

Severus was surprised the boy had not complained about his punishment, or questioned the 10 minute silence before he was presented with his task. If the boy thought by arriving early he could finish early, then he was sorely mistaken! Severus strolled over to the boy silently, taking in his hunched shoulders and stiff stance. He moved around so that he could see the boy's face. His tongue was stuck out at the corner of his mouth and his eyes were narrowed in concentration. His hands worked with a skill and grace Severus had not seen in many years, especially not by a student. As the boy filled a jar with diced flobberworms he took note that all the pieces were almost identical in size. Now that took some serious skill.

"Mr. Potter, were you perhaps a chef in a previous life?" Severus was curious as to the boy's answer.

The boy looked up at him with a confused look, before it quickly vanished and a blank look washed over his features and he bent back over his work and continued his dicing.

"Well? Answer me, Mr. Potter!"

"I don't know what I was in any of my previous lives. Should I?" Harry asked, annoyed.

"Oh, you fancy yourself as a comedian do you Mr. Potter?"

"No sir, I was just answering the question truthfully. Should I remember my previous lives?" There was a hint of sarcasm in the question, but Severus let it slide.

"Stupid boy."

The boy's head shot up and he glared at him, a defiant look in his eyes. _The brat dared to glare at him!_

"Wipe that look off your face Potter, before I remove it for you." Severus snapped.

The boy's head dropped again and his tiny hands deftly began dicing once again. Severus decided to try again, clearly the boy possessed a strong defiant streak.

"Where did you learn to dice so… precisely?"

The boy breathed an irritated sigh and mumbled something Severus did not hear.

"Do not mumble at me Mr. Potter. I asked a question and I expect it to be answered, fully."

There was a little pause as the boy drew in a shaky breath before looking up and making eye contact with him.

"I often cooked at my relatives, sir. I guess I picked it up there."

"Hmm. Continue your work Mr. Potter."

Severus was sure the boy had told the truth, and it would explain his skill, but it was also slightly alarming, an eleven year old boy should not have cooked often enough to reach that level of skill.

"Do you enjoy cooking Mr. Potter?"

The boy gave an involuntary shiver and paused again before answering, as if thinking of his answer before he spoke.

"Not particularly sir."

"I'm curious Mr. Potter, what other domestic skills do you possess?"

Potter again looked at him puzzled, drawing his bottom lip between his teeth. He was hesitant to answer, as if contemplating what the right answer would be.

"Do you not understand the question Mr. Potter?"

"Yes I do. I just, well, why do you want to know. Sir?"

"I ask the questions, Potter. You answer them. Now, what other domestic jobs did you do at home?"

The boy turned his nose up when Severus said 'home', and Severus had something else to wonder over.

"Washing, ironing, cleaning, mowing, trimming, weeding, scrubbing, polishing, dusting, painting. You know, the usual."

The boy shrugged his shoulders as he finished his sentence and Severus couldn't help the surprised look on his face. Thankfully, Potter had returned to his work and so did not see the surprise, or the angry look that replaced it as Severus decided the spoilt brat was lying to him. There was no way the boy-who-lived would do household chores, and certainly not all of those he implied.

"Do. Not. Lie. To me!" Severus boomed, grabbing the small child by his arms and giving him a quick shake. The boy looked up at him with a terrified expression and Severus let go. Maybe he had slightly over-reacted.

Severus took a deep breath and regained his composure, peering down at the boy he watched as Potter's face clearly showed the different emotions he was experiencing. He was like an open book. Fear, then hurt, then resignation, then it turned from determined to downright angry and before Severus could respond the boy exploded.

"Fine! Believe what you want! But what's the point in asking me questions if you've already decided what the answer is?!" The boy yelled, before stalking towards the exit of the classroom.

Severus flicked his wand and the door slammed shut, locking in place.

"How dare you speak to me like that! And don't you dare ever, EVER, walk away from me boy!" Severus was livid, the cheeky, impertinent little brat!

"You will serve detention for the rest of the week, including Saturday AND Sunday, Mr. Potter!" He bellowed, trying hard to reign in his temper. He had never come so close to striking a student his life, and he'd be damned if this brat was going to cost him his job.

The boy stood at the door with his back to him. His shoulders hitched as he took in deep breaths, obviously the boy was also trying to calm himself down. Slowly, the boy turned and faced Severus, a determined look on his face.

"Yes sir." He ground out between gritted teeth.

"Sit down. Head on the desk, until you learn to control yourself, Potter." He spat, determined not to let the boy leave in such a highly emotional state.

The boy stomped over to a desk and plonked himself down unceremoniously before glaring at Severus once more before lowering his head onto the desk as instructed. The boy murmured something under his breath but remained where he was and Severus decided he did not want to know what it was. Instead, he stalked over to the workstation the boy had previously occupied and cleared away the flobberworms. He left Potter at the desk for half an hour, allowing them both to calm down, and Potter to become appropriately uncomfortable.

"Head up, Mr. Potter." Severus said, standing directly in front of the scrawny boy.

The boy complied slowly but fixed his gaze at Severus' chest, refusing to make eye contact.

"Tomorrow, 6pm. And leave your attitude at the door before you walk into my classroom again Mr. Potter, unless you want to serve detention every night for the rest of the year. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir. Can I go now?" The boy said tiredly.

"Yes. Straight to bed. No excuses."

With that Severus turned away quickly, making his robes billow around him. He did it on purpose of course, it had taken him more practice than he would ever admit to perfect the movement, but the effect it had on the students gave him great satisfaction. He heard the door close behind him and turned to ensure the boy had indeed left the classroom before warding the door and retiring to his chambers for the night. _The brat was worse than his father! _

Severus replayed the conversation and the boys reactions in his head as he sat staring at the fire in his sitting room and was alarmed to find he was actually contemplating the possibility that the boy may have been telling the truth about his domestic jobs, and that would certainly explain his later outburst. He was beginning to get a headache, and still his thoughts stayed with the boy. The scrawny, messy haired brat who apparently carried out all the domestic jobs of the household at his relatives. And his potion making was decent too. With a heavy sigh, Severus decided to retire for the night, still no closer to making a decision about Potter.

OoOo

The following evening, Harry arrived at the potions classroom at 5.55pm and knocked on the door, determined to stay calm. On hearing the gruff command to enter, he did so and closed the door gently behind him.

"Sit here. Take out your quill and write the following lines," Snape pointed at a desk at the front with a roll of parchment already set down. Harry complied silently.

"I will show my Professor's respect at all times." Snape sneered.

"How many times sir?" Harry asked, ensuring he kept his tone even.

"For the duration of your detention. Begin."

_Great._ Harry began his lines, not bothering to rush as it didn't matter how many times he wrote it. Thankfully, the Professor did not ask him any more questions and at 8.30pm he was dismissed with a warning to arrive at 6pm again tomorrow evening.

Harry arrived back in his common room and went straight up to his dorm to get ready for bed, less a prefect report him for being late to bed.

"How'd detention go Harry? Better than last night?" Teddy asked.

"Yeah, just lines tonight." Harry replied.

He'd been in a foul mood when he had returned the previous night and his roommates had received a torrent of curse words about Snape from him when they had enquired about his first detention, so they visibly relaxed when Harry came in much calmer tonight. I had taken Harry a long time to fall asleep that night, when Snape had grabbed him he thought the man was going to beat him, but thankfully that had not happened. How dare he call him a liar! Harry had been in a bad mood all day, but thankfully his anger had subsided, allowing him to get through that nights' detention without incident.

"Merlin Potter, you should really try to keep your head down around Snape, he's not the kind of Professor you mess with." Draco admonished.

"I didn't do it on purpose Draco! He just…urgh… he's a right foul git. He's got it in for me, I know it!" Harry slumped down on his bed and breathed a deep sigh.

"S'not fair. I was actually looking forward to potions before I got here too." Harry admitted tiredly to his roommates.

"I think Snape puts half the school off potions." Teddy said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, probably." Agreed Harry. Closing his drapes around his bed, Harry got ready for bed quickly and allowed sleep to claim him.


	4. Chapter 4 - The room inspection

**A/N - thanks for the reviews! Don't worry peeps, Severus doesn't hate Harry for long!  
**

Chapter 4 - The room inspection

The rest of Harry's detentions went as well as could be expected. Snape had been stern and snappy, but hadn't asked him any more stupid questions about his home life, something Harry was immensely grateful for. He had even managed to get through another potions lesson without incurring the man's wrath. Maybe things weren't so bad after all.

Friday morning, Harry and his roommates were ensuring everything was in order in their room, everything neat and tidy, beds made and smoothed down and all their clothes and belongings either hung or folded neatly away in their wardrobes and drawers. They stood at their beds nervously, awaiting the arrival of their Head of House. They did not have to wait long.

"Good morning boys," the Professor greeted them, swooping into the room gracefully.

Harry watched as Professor Snape moved over to Draco's wardrobe; he opened his wardrobe and each drawer in turn, before turning to Draco's bed and seemingly satisfied, nodded in assent and gave Draco a quick 'well done' before moving to Teddy's wardrobe. Snape did the same again with Teddy's stuff before moving onto Harry. He inspected his meagre wardrobe then opened his top drawer, containing Harry's socks and underwear. Snape peered down into the drawer then turned to glare at Harry briefly before slamming it shut and opening the next drawer. Snape pulled out a blue t-shirt and held it up in front of Harry. Harry could feel his cheeks burning with embarrassment but remained still, raising his chin slightly and a determined look on his face.

"Is this yours, Potter?" Snape sneered at him. The t-shirt was 2 sizes too big for him.

"Yes sir." Harry replied straight away.

Snape sneered again then returned the item to the drawer before opening the next drawer and similarly taking out a pair of old khaki trousers and holding them up against Harry, obviously checking the sizing visually.

"And these? They are yours too?"

"Yes sir."

Snape looked a little put out, but Harry could not think why. _Why would Snape care? _He turned and drew out the other pair of trousers Harry owned. Snape held them both together, checking they were the same size he gave Harry a quizzical look before returning both items back to the drawer and opening the bottom drawer. Snape straightened abruptly and spun round to face Harry.

"Where are the rest of your clothes, Potter?" Snape glared at him.

Harry looked at his roommates nervously, at a loss as to how to reply. _He didn't have any more clothes!_

Snape must have sensed his unease and for once, cut Harry some slack. Instead of pressing for an answer he inspected Harry's bed and without saying anything, moved over to Blaise Zabini's wardobe and so the routine began again. Harry let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding and once again glanced over at Teddy and Draco. Draco gave him a puzzled look, Teddy a sympathetic look accompanied by a small shrug of his shoulders.

Once Snape seemed finished, he turned to face all four boys.

"This is acceptable, keep your room to this standard and you will continue to enjoy your weekends. You are dismissed. Except Mr. Potter. Remain."

Harry gulped as the other boys exited the room. _What now?_

"Mr. Potter. I would like you to open your trunk and allow me to see the contents." Snape said in a flat tone.

Harry looked at him in puzzlement. _I thought he didn't look in people's trunks?_

Snape seemed to sense his hesitation and cleared his throat before speaking once again.

"You do not _have_ to show me inside your trunk, Mr. Potter. I am asking permission."

_Yeah right, you'll probably give me another weeks worth of detentions if I say no._

With that in mind, Harry slowly bent down over his trunk and popped the lid open, then stood back up and faced his Head of House once again, lifting his chin in defiance. _Let the greasy git find fault in an empty trunk!_

Snape's gaze lingered on Harry for a moment before he turned his attention to the open trunk. No sooner had Snape set eyes on the inside of his trunk than he immediately sought out Harry's gaze once again.

"Where are your belongings Potter?" Snape said with agitation, and Harry thought, a trace of alarm?

Harry raised his chin a little higher, ready for another argument about lying.

"I don't have any other belongings. Sir."

Harry was impressed with himself, his voice didn't falter at all. Snape gave him a questioning look before crouching over the trunk and reaching inside. He pulled out Harry's sketchbook and flipped through the pages carefully, before returning it gently and pointing to a small brown cloth bag he asked;

"What's in that?"

"My money sir."

"May I?" Snape indicated.

_Oh hell, what difference did it make?_

"If you want. Sir."

Harry shrugged, trying to ignore the hot flush washing over his face and neck. He scrunched his hands into his robes and gritted his teeth. This was embarrassing enough, all he needed now was for Snape to start mocking him and he would really lose it this time.

Harry had salvaged the sketchbook from the bin where Dudley had thrown it disgust on his birthday last year. A small worn-down pencil accompanied it and as Snape emptied his meagre moneybag with one hand into the open palm of his other hand, Harry could see Snape mentally adding up the sum of Harry's inheritance before returning the coins to the tattered bag and placing it back in Harry's trunk.

Snape straightened up but kept his gaze on the interior of Harry's trunk for a few moments more, seemingly deep in thought. When he finally turned to look at Harry, it was with a look of deep contemplation. Harry tried to maintain eye contact but found he couldn't look into those obsidian eyes anymore and so he averted his gaze and studied his shoes, trying to hide his flushed face from his Professor's gaze.

"You'd better get to class Mr. Potter, before you're late. Report to my office at 7pm this evening." Snape's tone held no venom, and sounded almost resigned.

"Yes sir." Harry said quickly before fleeing the room, keeping his head down as he ran through the common room and away from Snape's penetrating eyes. Harry was just glad to be out of there and away from Snape, but something was definitely off, _Snape hadn't mocked him or called him a liar or anything!_ He was confused about the man's behaviour, but decided to shrug it off and concentrate on the days' lessons.

OoOo

Severus watched the boy leave, completely at a loss as to what to make of this new information. The embarrassment on the boy's face and the stiffness of his body language told him the boy had been sincere. Potter owned practically nothing. 2 tatty t-shirts too big for him, 2 pairs of tatty trousers, again too big for him. A pair of old trainers that were faded and worn and a sketchbook and small pencil were all the boy had. 3 galleons and 4 sickles, 10 knuts. That was what the boy had for the school year. It was a pittance. He didn't have a jumper or sweatshirt or even a coat! How the hell was the boy going to survive the Scottish winter?

Severus looked down once again and noticed the trunk was still open. The sketchbook caught his attention and so he leaned down and looked through the pages at the boys' artwork once again. The boy had talent, he mused as he turned the pages. There were various sketches; a snake coiled up, a squirrel eating a nut, his owl, a man on a flying motorbike? The Slytherin common room and last but by no means least, Potter had drawn a picture of him, his head down peering into a steaming cauldron.

Puzzled beyond belief, Severus returned the sketchbook and caught sight of another item he hadn't noticed before. It was a small envelope. Severus picked it up to examine it and almost lost his balance when he read the address. _Mr H. Potter, The cupboard under the stairs…_ A cupboard?! They boy's Hogwarts letter was addressed to him as living in the freaking cupboard under the stairs! With a disgusted grunt he closed the lid of the boy's trunk, breathing a deep sigh of frustration. He stood and exited the boy's dorm. He was going to have to speak to the boy tonight. It was becoming increasingly clear that the boy had been neglected and mistreated at home, and Severus prayed to the god's that Potter had not been physically abused as well. With a heavy feeling settling in his chest, he made his way to his potions classroom and prepared for his 4th year Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff class arriving in 15 minutes.

OoOo

Harry arrived in time for transfiguration and sat down next to Teddy. Teddy was about to speak when Professor McGonagall arrived and so spared Harry some awkward questions. He knew he would have to face his friends' interrogation at some point but was glad for the reprieve just now. He kept his head down throughout the class and only answered questions when asked directly, he had known the answer to some of the questions, but not all. He could feel people's eyes on him, but dared not look up. He would either flush even more than he was now, or explode in a fit of rage, neither option was appealing. So he kept his head down, refusing to meet anyone's gaze and when they were dismissed, hurried quickly from the classroom, without waiting for his friends.

Herbology went pretty much the same way, except that his friends had whispered a couple of questions at him; 'So what did Snape say?' and 'Those tatty things aren't really all your clothes are they?' When Draco had sidled up and asked him; 'Why didn't you put the rest of your clothes away, Potter?' Harry turned and glared at him, before moving away from the table and busying himself at a workstation where the fertilizer was kept. His roommates took the hint and left him alone for the remainder of the lesson. But sure enough, they would not let the subject drop and surrounded him in the Great Hall at lunch.

"Come on Harry, what happened with Snape after we left?" Teddy asked, nudging Harry gently with his elbow.

"Nothing happened, just leave it will you?" Harry replied, annoyed.

"You'd better not have gotten us in trouble Potter!" Blaise snapped.

"Come on Potter, what happened?" Draco joined in.

"Nothing!" Harry shouted. Then, realising they wouldn't stop, he let out a deep sigh before beginning again.

"Look, he just asked to look in my trunk. Then he let me go. Seriously, nothing happened."

"He didn't say anything else?" Teddy asked, surprised.

"No."

"And he didn't make you put all your clothes away? Or give you more detentions?" Draco asked incredulously.

Harry gave him a confused look. Clearly nobody believed that 2 pairs of trousers and 2 t-shirts were all he had. He had seen the other boys putting all their clothes away on the first night and knew they had much, much more. But he hadn't seen his stuff, or lack thereof, as being such a big deal.

"Nothing happened, Draco. He just told me to come to his office at 7 tonight for my detention - the ones I already had that is. He never said anything about any more detentions or anything. Really." Harry explained tiredly. He sincerely hoped that would be the end of it, and thankfully, the boys quieted and concentrated on their lunch.

The reprieve didn't last though, as Teddy leaned over to him during evening meal and said quietly in Harry's ear, "Those clothes Harry, they were way too big for you. Why do you have them?"

_How the hell was he supposed to answer that? _

"Look Teddy, just leave it will you. Please?"

Teddy gave him a concerned look, then to Harry's relief, gave a disappointed nod and continued with his evening meal. Suddenly, Harry wasn't hungry anymore, he had barely eaten anything, but he could feel eyes on him again and his stomach felt queasy. He excused himself from the table and walked from the hall hurriedly, he needed to get away from people for a while, away from the stares and funny looks. But where could he go? Harry decided to get some fresh air, maybe that would make him feel better.

Coming next: Chapter 5 – Snape's Office


	5. Chapter 5 - Snape's Office

**A/N: **Thank you everyone for the reviews! A few people have mentioned Harry not having anything in his vault. Albus will explain things in more detail in chapter 6! And it just works better for my story if he doesn't have galleons at his disposal. Thank you also to KissAFrog525 for pointing out to me I'd spelt Theodore Nott's name wrong - it will not happen again! Anyway, hope you like this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Chapter 6 should be up by the end of the week.

Chapter 5 - Snape's Office

Severus retreated to the staff room after evening meal, wanting to know what the other teachers made of Potter, but he wouldn't ask them directly. No, they did not need to think that he, Severus Snape, was interested in the boy more than his other snakes.

Sure enough, the other Professor's had broached the subject without him having to speak a word.

"He's very quiet, not at all like James. Especially today, he wouldn't even make eye contact with anyone, not even the other students." Minerva explained.

"Yes, he was quiet in charms too. I thought he might possess Lily's talent, but so far he has been very average." Flitwick said with a sigh.

"Well, it is only his first week, maybe he's still settling in, it's probably difficult for him, being sorted into Slytherin and everything."

"Just what exactly are you implying, Minerva?" Severus interrupted, extremely annoyed.

"Severus! I didn't see you there!" Minerva replied, startled.

"What, exactly, were you implying about _MY_ House?"

"Nothing Severus! It's just, he's probably disappointed he wasn't sorted into the same house as his parents, that's all I meant!"

"Hmm." Severus had heard enough.

He stood abruptly and without another word, silently stalked out of the staff room and began to mentally prepare himself for his meeting with the Potter boy. He would have to tread carefully, phrase his questions correctly, less he have the boy explode again. The boy had one hell of a temper on him, no doubt it would get him in a lot of trouble over the coming school year. That was yet another issue he would have to address with the boy. His mood no better, he retreated to his office and opened his filing cabinet, bringing out Potter's personal file and making himself comfortable at his desk, began reading it.

OoOo

Harry dragged his feet along the dungeon corridor towards Snape's Office, he was not looking forward to this. The fact that it was his office and not the classroom filled Harry with a sense of foreboding, _what if he wanted to ask him questions? Everyone else had today, and how was he supposed to answer them?_ Harry stood at the door and gathered his courage, then, inhaling a deep breath he raised his hand and knocked on the door.

Harry entered the office after hearing a muffled 'enter' and closed the door softly behind him. He turned around but did not move further into the room. His Head of House sat at his desk with a file open on his desk.

"Have a seat, Mr Potter." Snape indicated to a wooden high backed chair in front of his desk. Harry approached it and sat down slowly. He definitely did not like where this was going.

Snape straightened in his chair, then intertwined his fingers together and rested his hands on top of the desk in front of him, fixing Harry with a determined stare.

"How have you found your first week at Hogwarts, Mr. Potter?"

"Erm, ok I guess." Harry replied, he had not really been expecting that. No sarcasm, no sneering, nothing.

"What about your lessons, and your other Professors?"

"Erm, fine I guess sir." _Again, what the hell? _Snape continued to stare at him, as if willing an answer.

"Mr. Potter, please be more specific."

Harry thought about the question, what exactly did the man want from him?

"Well… I'm doing ok I guess, it's all brand new to me, but I'm not behind everyone else. I'm keeping up." Hoping that was what Snape was getting at, he ducked his head slightly when Snape raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Favourite subjects?" Snape probed.

"Erm, well… I… well… no, not really sir." Harry stuttered. _God that was lame! Get a grip Harry!_

"You don't like any of your subjects?"

"No! I mean, yes sir, I like most of them, except history of magic." Harry finished, screwing his face up unconsciously at the thought of _that _lesson.

"Ah yes. I daresay you're not the only student who dislikes that particular subject." Snape gave him a wry smile; it made his face look weird.

"Tell me, what subjects did you enjoy at your muggle school?"

"Huh?" The question caught Harry completely off guard.

"Speak properly Mr. Potter. I fail to see how you could not understand the question, it is straightforward enough. Is it not?" Snape's voice remained even, though Harry could detect a hint of annoyance buried in there somewhere.

"Sorry sir, I was just surprised by the question."

"Well?"

"Erm, well, I guess… I guess chemistry."

"This is not a guessing game Mr. Potter."

"Oh. Well no, no I know it's not." His cheeks flushed crimson, _why was he stumbling over his words so much? _Harry took a deep breath, twisting his fingers into his robes for a moment while he composed himself.

"My favourite subject was chemistry sir." Harry said evenly. _That was better._

"Chemistry, that is not too dissimilar to potions, am I correct?"

"Yes sir, they are similar, except potions are much cooler." Harry said the last part without thinking, then cringed when he realized what he had admitted to Snape. Sure enough, Snape's following question was leading them to a place Harry didn't want to go.

"Indeed. But potions is not your favourite subject here at Hogwarts? Why so?"

Harry looked down at his hands and chewed his lip nervously, even his ears were burning now. _What the hell should he say?_

The air in the room became heavy, Harry could feel Snape staring at him, but he dared not look up, and he couldn't think of an answer that would not make the man angry.

"Is it maybe because of our interactions this week?" Snape said.

Harry's head shot up, eyes wide with surprise and mouth slightly open. Not trusting his voice, Harry nodded quickly before averting his gaze back to his hands in his lap. They were still twisting his robes, creasing the fabric as he gripped at it.

"I see. Mr. Potter, please look at me." Snape said, more softly than Harry thought the man was capable of.

"We haven't gotten off to the best start have we?"

"I guess not, sir." Harry admitted, drawing his bottom lip between his teeth once again.

"I want to ask you some questions about your home life, Mr. Potter. There is no need to become alarmed or… upset. I do want you to speak truthfully to me though." Snape clearly wasn't comfortable saying the word _upset._

"Why?" Harry was suddenly on the defensive.

"Because, Mr. Potter, certain things have come to my attention that lead me to believe that your home life is not what it should be."

"I don't want to talk about my relatives." Harry said dejectedly, looking away from the man once more.

"I understand that, however, I feel it is something we must discuss nevertheless."

Harry did not answer, but he felt his bottom lip curl out into a pout.

"First of all, I noticed your Hogwarts letter was addressed with 'the cupboard under the stairs'. Please explain this to me."

"What's to explain?" Harry returned flippantly.

"Did you sleep in the cupboard under the stairs at home?"

Harry cringed at the word 'home'. Like he'd ever call that place home. Hogwarts was more of a home than his relatives' house would ever be, despite the turbulent week he had just had.

"Mr. Potter-"

"Fine! Yes alright!" Harry yelled out.

Snape stared at him, his face devoid of expression and Harry realized he'd just shouted at his Professor. He looked down, closed his eyes and willed the tears away. _There was no way he would cry! He never cried! Never!_

"Talk to me Harry." Snape's soft, silky voice drifted through Harry's thoughts. The man had called him by his first name; he had never done that before. Steeling himself, he looked up and met the man's black eyes.

"What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to tell me about how the Dursley's treated you, and just how long you slept in a cupboard."

After a short pause, where Harry took a few deep breaths and decided the damage had already been done, he may as well just tell the man.

"I slept in the cupboard all my life, until Hagrid delivered my Hogwarts letter. Then they moved me into Dudley's second bedroom until I came here."

"Why did they move you?"

"Because of how the letter was addressed. They figured people were watching them. They didn't…. I mean… they don't like magic." He almost slipped up there, but there was no way he was telling Snape how much they hit him, at least before Hagrid had come.

He glanced a look at Snape; he could tell Harry had just _almost_ divulged something he hadn't meant to.

"Harry, could you please tell me what you did on a typical day at your relatives?"

Harry furrowed his eyebrows as he mulled over the question. _Just what exactly was he getting at?_

"My Aunt would wake me and I'd go make breakfast, then go to school, except in the holidays, obviously, then when I came home I did my chores, cooked their tea, then went to bed."

"An abridged version I'm sure. What about the holidays?"

"My aunt would wake me and I'd go make breakfast, then do chores, make their lunch, do some more chores, make their tea, then went to bed."

"Every day?"

"Yes sir. Pretty much."

There was a pause; Snape's eyebrows were furrowed in thought.

"You keep saying, 'their lunch, their tea'. What about yours?"

_Oops. How did he know? How did he effing know? Why would anyone pick up on that?_

"What about mine?" Harry retorted.

"Harry. You are undersize and underweight. Your eating habits in the Great Hall are… unusual… and you repeatedly referred to making meals as 'their', not 'our' or indeed 'my'. I want to know how often you ate and what you ate."

"I got breakfast most days." Harry mumbled.

"They starved you."

"No!" Harry didn't know why, but he felt he had to deny it.

"Harry-"

"Stoppit! Just stop! Please!" He'd had enough, he wanted out. Now.

"They hate me ok! There, is that what you wanted to hear? They hate me, and I hate them!"

Harry yelled, then jumped up from the chair, he wanted out of there right now, and he was goddamned if Snape was going to ask him anymore stupid, humiliating questions. Harry spun on his heel and headed for the door. Grabbing the door handle he yanked on it but it didn't budge, not an inch. He yanked on it again, more forcefully, but still the door remained in place.

"Harry! Calm down!"

"No! Let me go! Let me out! I want to leave!"

Snape grabbed Harry and spun him around, grasping his arms forcefully.

"Calm down, child!"

Harry struggled against the man's much stronger grip, knowing it was fruitless.

"Look at me!" Snape commanded.

Harry struggled in Snape's grasp a little more before giving up and slowly raising his eyes to meet Snape's.

Snape stared into Harry's eyes for a few moments, waiting for him to regain his composure.

"I believe that is enough for tonight, Harry. Would you like some hot chocolate?"

_Hot chocolate? Seriously? Did Snape have a multiple personality disorder or something? Hot chocolate though, he'd always wanted to try it._

"Um, ok. Hot chocolate sounds good. No more questions though?" Harry said timidly.

"No more questions, not tonight."

Harry guessed it was the best offer he was going to get and so gave a small nod of agreement. The Professor released his arms and stood slowly, never taking his eyes off Harry, as though he still did not trust that Harry wouldn't try to bolt the first moment he got the chance.

Finally, Snape turned slightly and gestured for Harry to follow him to a door behind Snape's desk. Snape opened it and waited for Harry to walk through before following. Harry stood in a large room with a blazing fireplace, a large black leather sofa and chair facing it. The other three walls were covered with bookcases full of books; Harry absently wondered if Snape had read them all, there must be hundreds!

"Have a seat, while I get the drinks."

"Okay. Thanks." Harry said timidly, moving over to the sofa and sitting down. His feet dangled over the sofa, reminding Harry just how short he was.

OoOo

_Why the hell had he invited the boy into his private chambers? Hot chocolate, of all things?_

Still, the boy really looked like he needed it. There was still a hell of a lot the boy wasn't saying, but Severus believed they had made good progress tonight. He would need to brew a nutritional potion for him and ensure the boy ate properly. Table manners could wait.

Severus had noticed the boy cringe whenever he had referred to the Dursley's house as 'home', and the boy himself had not actually ever said 'home' during the conversation. Considering he had lived in a cupboard whilst his cousin had enjoyed the use of _two_ bedrooms, it wasn't surprising the boy didn't refer to the place as home.

Severus entered his sitting room and gave the boy a steaming mug of hot chocolate before taking his seat in the comfortable leather chair.

"Thanks," Harry said sheepishly.

Severus watched as the boy blew gently into the mug, then took a cautious sip of his drink. Lowering the mug from his mouth, Severus noted the surprised but happy expression lighting the small boys face and another thought occurred to him.

"Alright?" He said, gesturing to the mug in Harry's hand.

"Yes sir! No wonder Dudley always asked for this before he went to bed!" Harry exclaimed happily.

"You've never had hot chocolate before?" Severus made sure his tone held no accusation.

The boy shook his head timidly then ducked his head and brought the mug to his lips once again.

Severus was tempted to ask more questions, but he didn't want the boy getting upset again and so he settled back in his chair and allowed Potter to drink his beverage without interruption. Once the boy had finished Severus took the mug from him and took it to the small kitchenette in his quarters.

"Right, we'd better get you back to your dorm young man. It is after 9pm already." Severus said, walking over towards the exit.

"Yes sir. What time do you want me tomorrow?" the boy said tiredly as he pushed himself down from the sofa.

_Ah yes, he'd given the boy detention at the weekend. _Severus considered cancelling the remaining detentions after what he had learned of the boy, but he had never let any student off detentions before and besides, it would give him another opportunity to garner information from him.

"Ten am, come to the potions classroom." Severus stated.

He could get to work on Potter's nutritional potion while the boy prepared ingredients. _Kill two birds with one stone_, he mused. Severus accompanied Potter back to the common room before bidding him goodnight and retiring back to his rooms for the night. He would also have to speak to Albus, let him know just exactly how the savior of the wizarding world had been treated by those despicable muggles.

Coming next : Chapter 6 – Money Matters


	6. Chapter 6 - Money Matters

**A/N:** Thank you everyone for the reviews! I hope this chapter explains things adequately enough for you all. I'm already well into chapter 7 and I promise it will be posted next week. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 6 – Money matters

Severus was setting his cauldron on the worktop when the tentative knock came, he checked the time; 9.55am. The boy was punctual.

"Enter." He said, then watched closely as the boy came through the door and slowly approached him. He was wearing his school robes, Severus noted, and remembered the lack of suitable non-uniform clothing the boy possessed. That was another thing that needed to be remedied – and soon.

"Good morning Mr. Potter, I trust you have eaten breakfast?" Severus asked.

"Yes sir." The boy sounded cheerful enough, taking into account he was serving a detention on a Saturday morning.

"Good. This morning you will harvesting the spines from lionfish. I will show you how, come."

Severus waited until Harry walked forward and stood next to him at the end of the workstation. He demonstrated how to remove the spines from the fish, instructing him to be careful so as not to cut himself. Once Harry confirmed he understood, Severus watched him remove a couple of spines to make sure he was doing it correctly, then moved over to his cauldron.

Severus began his work, allowing the boy to settle into his work before engaging him in conversation.

"I'm brewing nutritional potion for you." He said lazily.

"For me? Why?" Harry looked up, puzzled.

"Because you need it, don't you agree?"

Harry shrugged. Severus hated that, but he decided to let it go for now.

"I assure you Harry, you do need it. You will drink a vial every morning at breakfast, until your health improves." Severus kept his tone as light as he could.

"Yes sir." Harry looked down dejectedly.

"It is not a punishment Harry. This will help you, and it doesn't taste as bad as it smells, believe me." His lips curled up in a wry smile, hoping to put the boy more at ease.

"Thank you sir." He replied with a small smile.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence Severus began again.

"Harry, I'm curious. Why didn't you get more money from your vault to bring with you?"

There was a long pause before the boy finally spoke in a tiny voice;

"I left the rest to buy my schoolbooks for next year sir."

"Did you think about maybe getting some other clothes whilst at Diagon Alley?"

"No sir, school books are more important."

"School books don't cost that much Harry. Your parents must have left you a fortune, surely?" _Did the child have no concept of money?_

"No sir." Harry said quietly.

"Pardon?" Severus was sure he was hearing things.

"They didn't leave me a fortune sir, they spent it on safe houses or something. That's what the Headmaster said anyway." Harry mumbled, shrugging his shoulders as he finished.

Severus looked at the boy dumfounded. _Safe houses! And Albus knew! Oh, dear child._

He dismissed Harry at 11.30am for the rest of the day and cleared his workstation. He was going to see the Headmaster straight after lunch, he didn't care how busy the man was.

OoOo

"Severus! Just the man I wanted to see. Lemon drop?" The Headmaster beamed.

"No, thank you Albus. What did you want to see me about?" Severus said gruffly.

"Ah yes. I have some worrying information about our young Mr. Potter. But how is he settling in?"

Severus took a seat and arranged his thoughts before answering.

"As well as can be expected. He appears to be making friends well enough. What is this information?"

"Ah, yes. It appears that James was rather over-generous with his finances during the last war. He bought many properties and stocked them rather extravagantly, for use as safe houses. I believe he thought he would be able to sell them later and recoup the money. However, as you well know Severus, most of the houses were destroyed by Death Eaters in their anguish over the Dark Lord's downfall. I have made enquiries and there are currently only three properties left that could be sold, but two of them are currently occupied by wizarding families. It seems that James agreed with the families two years before Harry was born, that they could live in those houses for twenty years, for free, giving them time to save enough money to support themselves. They were old friends of James' you see. The third property, which the Ministry conveniently 'forgot' about, has been standing empty for a number of years and is in quite a state of disrepair. I have petitioned the Ministry to allow me to handle Harry's financial interests, and then I can begin the process of selling the property in order for the boy to at least have enough money to see him through his schooling. It is a mess, Severus."

Severus stared at the man in disbelief, attempting to take in the information. _James bloody Potter! You stupid, arrogant arse!_ Albus looked regretful.

"How long have you known?"

"Hagrid informed me of the contents of the boy's vault at Gringotts. I then made enquiries but did not have the full information until yesterday. He will have to rely on his muggle relatives to buy his school things until I can get this sorry business sorted out."

At this, Severus's eyes narrowed.

"He can't. The school must provide for him."

"I beg your pardon Severus, whatever do you mean?"

"What I mean, Albus, is that he cannot rely on his muggle relatives for _anything._ Harry has been neglected and mistreated. They treat the poor boy like a house elf!"

The Headmaster stared at Severus in shock, his mouth forming an 'o'. Severus' anger had risen and continued his tirade.

"Those despicable, sorry excuses for human beings have starved him, made him sleep in a cupboard under the stairs – for 10 years I might add – and expected him to cook and clean and carry out all the domestic chores of the household. The boy doesn't even have his own clothes! A couple of tatty hand-me-downs by the looks of it, and not even a coat! Albus, we must do something, he cannot continue to live there."

Both men were silent, Severus tried to calm himself down while the Headmaster assimilated the information he had been given and the resulting consequences of any actions they could take.

"Albus, I will take the boy to Diagon Alley tomorrow and procure the necessary items he needs." Severus stated.

"Yes, of course my dear boy. Thank you for your diligence in this matter Severus. The school will reimburse you. I will look for a solution to his home life."

Severus stood and gave a nod to the Headmaster before taking his leave.

OoOo

Harry arrived for his final detention at 9.55am. Snape had been alright with him in detention yesterday, and letting him go before lunch had been a surprise, he'd been able to spend the rest of the day with Teddy and Draco, playing gobstones and exploding snap. He had even managed to complete all his homework. Teddy was quickly becoming Harry's best friend; Draco was ok too, but Teddy seemed more understanding somehow. Zabini however, was being a prat. He had told some of the other students about his lack of wardrobe and too-big clothes, and Harry had definitely not appreciated the girl – Pansy Parkinson her name was – curling her nose up at him and stating louder than necessary that she "didn't associate with people who took no pride in their appearance", before storming past him and up to her dorm. Zabini had also snickered at him, saying he could understand why his relatives wouldn't give him decent clothes, 'after all, Potter, you're nothing but lying, attention seeking little freak.'

Pushing those memories away, he knocked on Professor Snape's door and entered when he heard the gruff man respond.

"Good morning sir."

"Good morning, Harry."

Harry looked around the classroom, looking for a hint as to his job today.

"Harry, today I am taking you to Diagon Alley so that we may procure you with the necessary items of clothing to sustain you through the school year."

"Sir I can't! I need my money for my schoolbooks!" Harry burst out, panicking.

"Don't be silly, child! I do not expect you to pay for clothing, the school will provide these items for you."

"But, I can't pay it back!"

"Nor will you be expected to."

"I'm not a charity case!" Harry was starting to get angry. He could look after himself, he didn't need pity.

"Mr. Potter! It is unacceptable for you to wear your school robes all day every day and you _will not_ be wearing those rags currently residing in your drawer. You are a Slytherin, Mr. Potter, you will look presentable."

Harry looked up at his Professor indignant. Nobody had ever cared what he wore before, and he was old enough to make his own decisions about his clothes!

He was about to make another retort when his Professor spoke again, more softly this time.

"Harry, your relatives should have provided these things for you, but because they are vile human beings, they have not. Neither I, nor the Headmaster can stand idly by seeing you without the things you are entitled to have. You are entitled to have clothes that fit you Harry, it is a basic human right. Please do not argue with me, just accept them the same as your right to eat, to drink, to breathe. Alright?"

Harry sucked his bottom lip between his teeth as he contemplated the man's words. _It would be nice to have some new clothes, and maybe a coat for when it got cold. Scotland was cold in the winter wasn't it? _But still, Harry was reluctant to accept the offer, it just felt so alien that someone would care about him, about what he wore or how he looked. _But if he did have more presentable clothes, maybe people wouldn't sneer at him and make fun of him. Maybe Zabini would lay off him too._ Harry snorted out loud at that thought. _Yeah, and pigs might fly._ Decision made, he finally looked up into the expectant gaze of his Professor.

"Alright." He breathed with a sigh.

"Good. Now that that nonsense is taken care of, follow me to the Headmaster's Office, we will be flooing to Diagon Alley from there." Snape said, straightening up.

"Yes sir."

Harry followed him through the Castle to the Headmaster's Office and to the fireplace. His undignified arrival at the other end – laying sprawled on the floor while his Professor stepped out easily – left him feeling foolish. Snape said nothing, but waited patiently for him to get to his feet before flourishing his wand and removing the soot from Harry's robes.

Two hours later, Harry sat opposite his Professor in the Leaky Cauldron, a selection of bags full of clothes piled up on the chair beside him. His Professor had insisted on buying him four full sets of clothing, another pair of shoes and a pair of trainers, a 'mild weather' coat and a huge, warm, snuggly winter coat. He also had plenty of new socks and underwear, which Harry was immensely grateful for. Despite his earlier reservations, Harry was glad to have these new clothes and at that moment, couldn't think of a time when he had been happier. He couldn't prevent the proud smile spread across his face as he thought of wearing them in the near future.

"Harry, I know you are happy about the clothes, but if you could tear your mind away from them for a moment and choose something to eat, I would be grateful." Snape's silky voice filtered through his thoughts, there was a hint of amusement in his voice and Harry turned his head to grin at his Professor.

"Yes sir." He said, still grinning, then studied the menu in front of him.

"I can have anything on here?" Harry asked after a few moments.

"As long as it is a proper meal, yes."

After a few more moments of silent perusal, Harry made his decision and Snape ordered their food and drinks. They ate in comfortable silence, allowing the busy atmosphere of the pub to fill the air around them. Once finished, Harry went with Snape to the Apothecary where the Professor bought various ingredients while Harry perused the contents of a glass cabinet. Inside the cabinet were various wooden and metal boxes with intricately carved designs, ornate cauldron stirrers and stampers for wax seals.

"Are you ready?" Snape's voice startled him, and he stumbled back slightly before gaining his balance.

"Yes sir."

"Come along then, let's return to Hogwarts."

OoOo

Severus had been dreading shopping with the boy after his outburst about money and being a charity case first thing that morning, but all-in-all it had been… bearable. Harry had overcome his reluctance almost immediately after trying on the first pair of trousers that actually fit him. By the time they had reached the Leaky Cauldron for lunch, he could not help the great feeling of satisfaction coursing through him knowing that he had caused the stupid happy grin plastered all over Harry's face. For probably the first time in the boy's life, he could stand tall and be proud. He had his own clothes, brand new and fitting perfectly. Severus would not admit it to anyone, but he was finding it impossible to hold any ill feeling toward the boy, in fact he actually found Harry quite endearing… in a stubborn, messy-haired defiant kind of way. He blamed those emerald green eyes, so much like Lily's, and that silly delighted grin that lit up his features when he was happy. Harry was too easy to please, but ironically, just as easy to upset. Severus idly wondered how the boy's first flying lesson would go tomorrow, and checked his schedule to see if he had a free period, he was curious to know whether Harry had inherited more than just his looks from his father.

Coming up next: A New Talent


	7. Chapter 7 - A new talent

_**A/N: **This chapter is a bit of a scene setter, I've tried to keep it interesting but it's not my favourite chapter. I hope it isn't too bad. Be gentle please!_

Chapter 7 – A new talent

Monday morning dawned bright but slightly chilly, and once again, Zabini decided to have a dig at Harry before they had even made it to breakfast.

"Still shy, Potter?" Zabini spat as Harry emerged fully dressed from his shower.

"Shut it Zabini." Harry retorted.

"What, think you're too special eh?"

"I said shut it."

Harry stormed past the other boy and put his shower things away, before quickly exiting the dorm room and heading down to the common room to wait for Teddy and Draco. Zabini was really starting to get on Harry's nerves, not to mention how nervous the boy was making him feel. He hadn't seen any of the other boys getting naked in front of each other so why was Zabini so interested in him? Harry shook his head to clear his thoughts, _he would not let Zabini put him in a bad mood for the day._

At breakfast, a vial full of green liquid appeared in front of Harry, next to his pumpkin juice. He looked over to the staff table quickly and noticed Snape watching him intently. Hoping the Professor was right about it not tasting as bad as it smelt, Harry brought the vial to his lips and downed the potion in one. _Urgh!_ It wasn't quite as bad as the smell, but only just. Grabbing his pumpkin juice he downed the contents trying to get rid of the nasty taste in his mouth.

"What's that you've just drank Harry?" Teddy asked innocently.

"Just some nutritional potion Snape made me have. Says I need it, apparently." Harry tried to be as nonchalant as possible in the hope that his friend wouldn't push further.

"Smells awful!" Teddy said, wrinkling his nose up as he sniffed at the now empty vial.

"It doesn't taste much better either." Harry gave him a small smile.

"Rather you than me, mate."

"Cheers." Harry replied wryly.

Then Harry heard Zabini talking to that stroppy girl, Parkinson.

"See, I told you. Thinks he's sooo special."

Harry shot a glare at Zabini before Draco nudged him gently in his ribs, making Harry jump slightly and wince in pain. They were still a little tender after Dudley's last game of 'Harry Hunting'. Thankfully, Draco hadn't seen his face.

"Just ignore him Harry, he's not worth it." Draco said to him.

Harry spent the rest of breakfast concentrating on his food and trying to keep his temper in check. _Zabini infuriated him!_ Harry was thankful when it was over and they headed towards their first class of the day.

OoOo

The last class of the day was to be their first flying lesson. Harry couldn't decide if he was more excited or apprehensive. _What if he couldn't fly? What if he fell off his broom? Still, flying! Wow!_

It was with conflicting emotions that Harry stood with his classmates beside their school brooms listening to Madam Hooch giving out instructions on how to fly.

Suddenly, a Gryffindor boy began to rise on his broom. Harry watched on with horror as the boy continued to rise in the air as Madam Hooch shouted at him to come back down. Then it happened; the boy – Mr. Longbottom – fell from his broom and landed in a crumpled heap on the floor. A couple of other Gryffindors gasped in horror, uttering 'Neville!' Madame Hooch swept over to where Neville had unceremoniously landed and inspected the damage. Announcing that he had broken his wrist and would need taking to the infirmary, Madam Hooch gently led Neville away from the courtyard, throwing a final warning to the rest of the class over her shoulder.

"If anyone's brooms leave the ground, they will find themselves out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'!"

Draco leant down and picked up a glass ball, smirking to himself.

"Hey, it's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him!"

"Draco, don't do anything stupid." Harry warned Draco in a low voice.

Draco gave Harry a small glare before relenting and holding out the remembrall for Harry to take, as if not trusting himself with it's safekeeping. As Harry stepped forward he felt a hard shove in his back and the next moment he was sprawled on the floor, wincing in pain. Harry closed his eyes for a second, waiting for the pain to subside, then turned around to see Zabini smirking at him.

"Stay out of it Potter!" He spat, before turning to Draco.

"Draco, why don't you leave that somewhere for Longbottom to find? The top of that tree looks good." He sneered, inclining his head towards a tall tree nearby.

Draco looked down at Harry nervously for a few moments before Zabini chirped up again.

"What's the matter Malfoy? You chicken?"

Draco sneered back at Zabini, before mounting his broom and taking off into the air. Harry quickly got to his feet, anger boiling up inside him, and grabbed the nearest broom before taking off after Draco. He hadn't even realized what he'd done until he came to hover in front of Draco. _Wow! He was flying! It was so easy! He hadn't even had to think about it!_

"Draco! What are you doing? We have to get back down, now!" Harry shouted.

"Yeah but, Zabini-"

"Forget him! We could get into real trouble!"

"Okay." Draco agreed a little reluctantly.

Draco turned on his broom then flailed in panic as he lost his balance, releasing the remembrall from his grasp as he steadied himself with both hands on the broom.

"Are you ok?" Harry asked, panicked.

"Yeah, I dropped the remembrall though!"

Harry wasted no more time; he pointed the front of his broom towards the ground and set off at speed, loving the feel of the wind in his face and the power of the broom beneath him. He spotted the remembrall hurtling towards the ground and concentrated on catching up to it. With only a few seconds left before crashing to the ground, Harry caught the small glass ball and brought his broom up, coming to a halt just in time to step off and onto the ground safely.

Harry beamed at his accomplishment as some of the other students gathered around him patting him on the back and congratulating him on his flying skills. Draco had just managed to touch back down and came over to Harry, he opened his mouth to say something but was cut off when he heard Professor Snape's angry voice cut through the air. Draco stared at Harry with a look of sheer terror on his face. Harry gulped, fear rising within him as the possible consequences flooded into his mind.

OoOo

"Harry Potter!" Severus boomed as he stalked across the grassy courtyard, his heart thumping in his chest. It had lodged in his throat when he saw the boy go into a vertical dive towards the floor. _How had he managed to pull up his broom so quickly and that close to the ground? Why was he not laying in a bloody heap?_ _How dare the boy scare him like that! And to risk his life over such a stupid thing!_ Severus' mind whirled as he stalked toward the now terrified looking boys.

"Just what in Merlin's name possessed you, Potter! Do you have a death wish!" Severus snarled as he grabbed Harry roughly by the arm.

Severus desperately wanted to shake some sense into the boy, but knew it wouldn't help. Harry looked terrified; his emerald eyes were wide like a house elf, his face drained of all colour and his scrawny little body stood rigidly in place, as if waiting for a blow.

"Malfoy, Potter, come with me. Now." Severus kept his voice low and menacing for extra effect.

The two terrified boys shared a quick glance before shuffling away hurriedly behind their Head of House. Severus kept his pace quick, making the boys jog to keep up with him. He stalked down the corridor towards his office and took deep steadying breaths, he was still livid, mainly because Harry had managed to scare him so much. . It was impossible to deny that he cared for the boy more than his other snakes, but it could also be said that none of his other snakes had ever pulled such a reckless stunt!

"Get in there." He growled, holding the door to his office open.

The boys scurried in, keeping their heads bowed as they came to stand in front of his large oak desk. The lighting in the room was dim, casting long shadows along the stone floor and making the place seem much more foreboding. Snape swooped past them, but instead of moving behind his desk, he stood in front of it, crossing his arms and glaring down at the pale, shaking boys.

"Explain."

The two boys looked at each other for a few moments before Draco took a deep breath and began speaking.

"Well, this Gryffindor boy – Longbottom – fell off his broom and dropped his remembrall. I picked it up and went to give it to Harry."

"I was going to give it back to Longbottom!" Harry said quickly, realizing how bad it all sounded now.

"Quiet! Continue, Draco." Severus _hated_ interruptions.

"Erm, well then Zabini, he erm, he pushed Harry over and well, he…he…" Draco trailed off, now embarrassed that he had been goaded into doing something stupid so easily.

"Mr. Malfoy, please continue, without the stuttering and mumbling if you please."

Draco gave Severus a sheepish glance before squeezing his eyes shut and taking a deep breath. When he opened them again, Severus could see the colour rise in the pale boys' cheeks and could guess what had happened next. Finally, just as Severus was about to prompt the boy again, he began.

"Zabini was goading me sir, wanting me to put it in the tree, and he was calling me a chicken and stuff and well, I…"

"You let him get the better of you." Severus ground out.

"Yes sir. I'm sorry, I should have known better." Draco mumbled dejectedly.

"Yes Draco, you should have. But instead you decided to fly fifty feet up into the air and deposit another student's possession in a tree?"

The blond haired boy nodded, refusing to make eye contact.

"And just how, Mr. Potter, did you find yourself in the air?" Severus rounded on the up-until-now silent boy. His head shot up, eyes still wide and his mouth moved but no words came out.

"Well?" Severus said with impatience.

"I went to get Draco." Harry mumbled so quietly, Severus barely heard him.

"Mr. Potter, do not mumble at me!"

Severus noted the boy startle and stand a little more rigidly.

"I went up to tell Draco to come back down and not listen to Zabini. I didn't want Draco to get into trouble." The boy said a little more clearly.

"Continue."

"Well, Draco was going to come back down but lost his grip on his broom and dropped the remembrall by accident. I went after it 'cos if it got broke then Draco would be in trouble."

"As opposed to the trouble you are both in now?"

"Didn't think we'd get caught." Harry mumbled, his head bowed so low his chin was touching his chest.

"And we haven't even begun to talk about how foolish you were, risking your life for a ball of glass!" Severus snarled, the boy hadn't even thought about it!

Potter shook his head slightly and Severus' patience snapped.

"You're just like your father Potter! Flying round recklessly, endangering yourself! Never stopping to think about your actions! I thought you were different from your father. Obviously I was mistaken!" Severus was ranting now, he didn't care that he was shouting, or that both boys had flinched at his outburst and were now cringing in fear.

Then he saw the look in Harry's eyes. The boy was staring up at him, still very afraid, but with a flash of emotional hurt swimming in his wide eyes. He took a deep breath to calm himself, _he had to reign in his temper!_

"You will both report back here at six tonight. Now get out." He snapped.

The two boys practically ran away from their enraged Head of House, pausing only long enough to pull the heavy oak door open far enough for them to slither through before gaining as much distance from him as fast as they could. Severus could hear their heavy steps echoing off the walls along the corridor as they ran away from him.

With a heavy sigh, Severus slumped down into his black leather chair and ran a tired hand through his silky hair. That boy was going to be the death of him! He had come very close to losing his temper, again. At the last moment, and seeing how terrified the boys were, he had dismissed them so that he could assign their punishment with a cool head. He knew he would have been unfair with their punishments if he had given them out right now, but he was definitely going to have to do something with Potter, _the boy had no sense of self-preservation! _Severus decided to brew a potion; it always calmed him down. He would decide on the appropriate punishment later.

OoOo

"What do you think he's going to do with us?" Harry asked as he and Draco entered the Great Hall for lunch.

"Don't know, but I think he was more angry with you than me."

"Thanks Draco." Harry retorted.

Snape's rant about his father had hurt, he knew very little about his Father but he got the distinct impression Snape didn't like him. He pushed the niggling sensation of hurt and annoyance to the back of his mind before he wound himself up.

"Sorry Harry, but it's true. Hey, I thought you'd never flown before?" Draco asked, a thought suddenly occurring to him.

"I haven't."

"Seriously?! But how did you do that dive? And pull your broom up at the last moment?" Draco asked incredulously.

"I don't know, I just did. I didn't really think about it." Harry shrugged, it was the truth, he _hadn't _thought about it.

"You could be a seeker Harry!" Draco seemed excited all of a sudden.

"A seeker?"

"You know, Quidditch!"

"Oh, yeah, right. I doubt Professor Snape will ever let me play now." Harry said.

He had heard of Quidditch and had a vague idea about it from his friends, but had never seen it being played or even knew the rules and positions of players.

"Oh, you think that might be our punishment? Being banned from flying?" Draco said disheartened.

It was clear that Draco loved flying. If Harry was truthful with himself, he would have to admit that flying was the most amazing thing he had ever experienced – better than having three meals a day, and way better than hot chocolate, or even new clothes, although all those things were really good, they just didn't make him feel free like flying did. The exhilaration, the freedom, the feeling of being invincible - _yeah, flying was definitely the best thing about being a wizard. And now he was probably never going to be able to experience it again, well, not for a long while anyway. Damn! He had angered the man who had bought him new clothes and given him hot chocolate, who had been kind of nice in a weird, detached sort of way. What if he hated him again now? Damn!_

"Hang on, let me go take this back to Neville." Harry said, suddenly remembering the small glass ball and pulled it from his robes.

"Ok, see you in a minute." Draco called over his shoulder.

Harry walked over to the Gryffindor table, spotting Neville easily. He was sat slightly apart from the throng of boisterous students, with a couple of other first years Harry recognized from some of his classes. He pushed away his thoughts of his upcoming punishment (whatever it would be) and focused on the nervous looking boy in front of him.

"Neville, here's your remembrall. How's your arm?" Harry asked, handing the glass ball back to the boy.

"Oh, thanks erm…Harry. My arm's broken but it'll be ok in a few days. Well, that's what Madam Pomfrey said anyway. Thanks for rescuing my remembrall Harry. Ron told me about your dive, he said you were brilliant." Neville said with a smile, indicating to a red haired boy sat across from him.

"Erm, well, thanks." Harry said, giving the boy called Ron a nod of gratitude.

Ron didn't say anything, just returned the nod Harry gave him and set about his lunch.

"Did you get into a lot of trouble? I mean, Snape looked _really _angry!" Neville asked.

"Erm, I'm not sure yet. He kind of yelled a bit then kicked us out. We have to go back at six o'clock tonight. I guess we'll find out then." Harry said nervously.

"That's harsh, making you wait like that. He's a really nasty bat. I'm sorry you got into trouble Harry. Let me know if there's ever anything I can do for you." Neville said sincerely.

"Thanks Neville. I'd best get back to my table now. See you later." Harry gave the boy a grateful smile before heading back towards his fellow Slytherins.

Harry sat down between Teddy and Draco, his Professor's harsh words still rattling round in his head. His appetite had completely gone now. He sipped at his pumpkin juice and took a small bite of his beef sandwich. He knew he should try to eat _something._

Zabini sauntered up to the three friends and sat down opposite Harry with a satisfied smirk plastered across his arrogant face.

"So, how long are you in detention for then, Potter? Or has he beat your arse bare?"

"Shut up Zabini." Harry retorted, his anger rising.

Zabini chuckled loudly, sounding like a muggle pantomime witch.

"Piss off Zabini, you're putting us off our lunch with that stupid ugly face of yours." Teddy cut in.

"Awww, what's this? Lickle Teddy sticking up for his famous scrawny friend and his pasty-faced side-kick?"

"I'm not a frickin side-kick!" Shouted Draco.

Zabini laughed, happy that he had irked Malfoy once again.

"Yep, Snape's gonna beat your arses so bad you'll be sitting on cushions for a fortnight!" Zabini jibed, then stood up sniggering and moved further down the table to another group of first years.

"He wouldn't, would he?" Harry asked fearfully.

Draco shrugged his shoulders, fear clearly written on his face. _Oh God! Snape's going to beat us! Does he use a belt? Or a cane? His welts hadn't completely healed from his Uncle's last thrashing yet, could he stand the pain again so soon? Why did he have to be so stupid! _

It was with a heavy heart that Harry followed his friends to their afternoon classes, dreading his and Draco's meeting with Professor Snape that evening.

OoOo

Severus sat at the staff table next to Minerva at the evening meal. He respected the old Witch, they often shared friendly banter over House rivalry and the Quidditch Cup, but she could be quite annoying sometimes.

"I heard Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy gave you quite a fright today, Severus." Minerva said, a smile playing at her lips.

"Fright is not the word I would use, Minerva. Needless to say, they are both going to sorely regret their foolish, Gryffindor actions."

"Gryffindor, Severus? Whatever do you mean? How is stealing another boy's remembrall 'Gryffindor' behaviour?"

"Potter decided to play the hero and try to rescue the bloody thing, almost killing himself with his idiotic heroics!" Severus was still angry at the boy, but his temper was now in check.

"I see. Quite the talented flyer isn't he? I suppose he'll be on your Quidditch team next year then." Minerva mused as a light bulb clicked on above Severus' head.

_Ah yes, this would be fun, and if he could pull it off, very advantageous for his House. Why hadn't he seen it before? Oh yes, because of his anger at the boys' recklessness!_

"Who says I'm going to wait until next year? I don't have a seeker and as you say Minerva, he's a very talented flyer." Severus teased.

"But Severus! First years never play Quidditch!" Minerva gasped.

"Well, maybe it's time things changed. I don't see why first years can't play Quidditch – if they're good enough to make the team of course." Severus smirked at the Gryffindor witch, who now sat with her mouth slightly open in shock.

"No Severus, this won't do. Quidditch is dangerous!"

"Is it less dangerous for a twelve year old than an eleven year old? Come Minerva, I thought you agreed that talent should always be nurtured." Severus was really enjoying himself now.

"He could be killed!"

"No more than any of the other players." Severus said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders for extra effect.

"You are incorrigible, Severus Snape." With that, Minerva dug her fork into a piece of meat with more aggression than was necessary and studiously ignored Severus' chuckling.

Severus tucked into his food a lot happier than when he had entered the Great Hall. _He would never let Minerva know that he hadn't actually thought of Harry playing Quidditch, although it would be hilarious to see her face if he did ever tell her that she had actually been the one to seal her own fate by suggesting it in the first place. But first, the boy needed to be punished for his foolishness. Two weeks detention should do it, and that would also save him a lot of time not having to prepare the ingredients for his classes himself. Yes, the boy was rather useful in many ways._

Coming up next: Chapter 8 – A shocking discovery


	8. Chapter 8 - A Shocking discovery

Chapter 8 – A shocking discovery

Harry and Draco left Professor Snape's Office with relief written all over their features. Draco had been given a week's worth of detention, Harry two weeks, due to his reckless 'stunt'. Harry was so happy he would be staying at Hogwarts, and relieved beyond measure that he hadn't received a beating. He wouldn't have tried to get out of a beating, that was pointless, he knew that, he would have taken it like all his other beatings. He had had so many over the years he had become indifferent to them in many ways. Yes, they hurt, yes he was a little scared, but he never cowered, never panicked, never gave them the satisfaction of seeing how much they hurt him. He was disappointed that the two weeks detention also included a flying ban, but he supposed it could have been a lot worse. All in all, Harry supposed they had both gotten off pretty lightly considering Madam Hooch's promise of expulsion – but that was probably an empty threat anyway - and Professor Snape hadn't been overly angry or nasty, just his usual snarky self.

Harry and Draco arrived back at the common room and were ambushed by Teddy and few other first years who were anxious to find out the boys' punishment. Draco informed them all while Harry pushed past them tiredly. He had had enough excitement for one day, and wanted nothing more than to have a hot shower and go to bed. Unfortunately, Zabini had other ideas.

"Hey Potter! How's your arse? Did you cry like a little baby?"

"My arse is fine Zabini. Why don't you just sod off and leave me alone." Harry said tiredly.

"You did didn't you! You cried like a baby! You and your little side-kick!"

"Why the hell would we cry Zabini? We got detention, not a belt thrashing!" Harry said, irritated.

"That's it? Just detention? My, my, you are special aren't you! Anyone else would have got much more than just detention. You think you're so good Potter, well we'll just have to see about that."

"Fine, whatever Zabini." Harry moved past the irritating boy and headed off for his shower, clenching his fists by his side as he tried to keep hold of his temper. He needed a shower, to get away from everyone and hopefully, it would relax him a bit.

OoOo

"Draco, you need to make the cut going away from you or the juice will squirt all over you." Harry whispered during their third detention together.

"Away from me?" Draco asked.

"Yes, look, watch me." Harry slowed his motions so his friend could see how he cut the boomslang, harvesting it expertly so as to preserve the maximum amount of skin without getting blood and puss and guts all over the place. Once he had finished he looked up at Draco who had been watching intently.

"See?"

"Yeah, ok. Thanks Harry."

Draco copied Harry's previous movements and gave his friend a thankful smile when he managed to harvest the boomslang skin without much mess. Draco still wasn't as clean and precise as Harry, but he was definitely improving.

"How come you're so good at this?" Draco asked after a few more moments.

Harry's hand stilled as he thought of an appropriate answer, he remembered what had happened the last time he had been asked something very similar.

"Dunno, s'pose I've just got a knack for it, and I have already served detentions with Snape, remember?" Harry said as nonchalantly as he could.

"Oh yeah. Well, I hope I don't get enough to detentions to be as good at this as you." Draco said with a cheeky smile.

"Oh ha ha." Harry replied sarcastically, giving Draco a wry smile in return.

"Stop that chattering you two, this is a detention not a tea party." Snape drawled.

The two boys shared a quick smile before answering with a quick 'yes sir' and returning to their work.

OoOo

Saturday morning came as a welcome relief for Harry, he entered the Great Hall for breakfast with his friends wearing his new clothes and a certain spring in his step. Snape hadn't made them do detention over the weekend and their room had been up to standard. That meant a full weekend for Harry to hang out with his friends and maybe go visit Hagrid; he'd hardly seen the friendly giant since arriving at school and it would be nice to spend some time with the gentle man.

"New clothes Harry?" Teddy asked as they sat down.

"Erm, yeah." Harry gave him a nervous smile, praying Teddy wouldn't ask where he had gotten them, or how. He hadn't thought of an explanation and telling him Snape had bought them seemed wrong somehow.

"When did you get those?" Draco asked, joining in the conversation.

"Last weekend." Harry replied, keeping his answers short and hoping they took the hint.

"Last weekend? Weren't you in detention all last weekend?"

"Not all weekend."

"Yeah but, where'd you get them?" Draco asked, puzzled.

"What's the big deal? I've got new clothes ok? Let's just leave it at that." Harry snapped.

"Wow, bit touchy aren't you? We were only asking Harry, you know, as friends." Draco said, a little hurt.

Harry saw the hurt expression on Draco's face and realized he had been a little short with him. He just didn't know what to say; _'my relatives hate me and never bought me clothes or fed me properly and Snape knows and he bought me all this new stuff, they cover all my scars and bruises and everything!'_ Yeah sure, that would work.

"Sorry for snapping, but can you just leave it, please? It's not really that big a deal."

"Okay. But, you can talk to us Harry, if you need to." Teddy said sympathetically.

"Thanks, but I'm fine. Really." Harry gave them a small smile then groaned as he spotted the vial of nutritional potion in front of him.

"Still on them?" Draco asked, indicating to the vial of green liquid.

"Unfortunately." Groaned Harry.

Harry downed the potion then followed it up with a full goblet of pumpkin juice, then waited until his friends had taken their fill of breakfast foods before taking his own.

"You really should eat more Harry. You'd get off that potion quicker if you did." Teddy said between bites of sausage.

"I'm not much of a breakfast person." Harry mumbled.

"You don't eat much at any of your meals Harry." Draco intoned.

"Sorry, _mother."_ Harry said sarcastically.

"Just saying." Draco said with a mouth full of toast.

Harry sighed, he hated all the attention, why did people suddenly care so much about what he ate? He tried to eat normally but his stomach just wasn't used to it. He couldn't help it if he felt full on half of what everyone else ate.

After breakfast, the boys decided to spend a couple of hours doing their homework so they could then spend the rest of the weekend having fun. Teddy and Draco had not asked any more awkward questions or commented on his lack of toys and games, which Harry was immensely grateful for. Draco had shown Harry how to play chess, whilst Teddy showed him the game of gobstones and exploding snap. The common room was a place Harry loved hanging out in. The low ceilings and greenish tinted lights gave the room a cosy feel. There were large black leather sofas placed in front of a roaring fire that you could spread out on and enjoy the crackling of the fire in the massive fireplace. It was so much removed from the clinical cleanliness and sickly sweet floral design at the Dursleys, as far as Harry was concerned, this was home; it felt cosy and above all, safe.

On Sunday morning, Harry visited Hagrid for a couple of hours, drinking sweet sickly tea and almost breaking a tooth on the man's rock cakes. Everything in the half giant's hut was oversized to accommodate the large man, and it made Harry feel even smaller than he was. It was also very cluttered, with various tools and bits of equipment that Harry had never seen before hanging from the long wooden beams supporting the roof. Despite the messy appearance and strange things cluttering the hut, Harry thought the place was very homey and maybe because it looked nothing like the Dursley's, he liked it.

He was happy to see Hagrid but he was also glad to get back to the Great Hall for lunch and meet up with his friends again. They talked amicably over lunch and retreated back to the coziness of the common room where they played a few games of exploding snap and then sat on the comfy sofas in front of the roaring fire talking and relaxing. The boys had enjoyed a pleasant weekend, which Harry decided had been the best weekend of his life! It had only been slightly marred by Zabini's occasional taunts when he had passed them in the halls, but the three boys had done a good job of ignoring him.

OoOo

Monday evening saw Harry at detention in the potions classroom without the company of his friend. Draco had only been given one week of detention. Still, Harry didn't mind that much. Whilst chopping and preparing ingredients he could relax and let his mind wander, his hands deftly working almost of their own accord. Whilst lost in his own little world (where he was flying over a forest and around a massive lake loving the feel of the wind in his face), he failed to notice his potions professor walk up and stand directly behind him.

"That's good Mr. Potter, keep it up."

Harry jumped back, startled. It took a few moments for his brain to register what had been said to him, and turned to face Snape briefly.

"Uh, yes sir." Harry said sheepishly before turning back to the workstation.

His Professor had a strange expression on his face, as if he was deep in thought. Harry took a deep breath to calm his pounding heartbeat then began again slicing the wings of the bats in front of him.

He could feel his Professor staring at his back, he could sense the man was going to ask him something awkward, the atmosphere in the room had turned tense and Harry noticed just how quiet it was in the classroom.

"I marked your potions essay earlier Mr. Potter."

Harry tensed his shoulders, the tone of his Professor's voice gave Harry the impression he was not pleased. Plus, he had reverted to the more formal 'Mr. Potter' instead of 'Harry', which Harry had noticed Snape did when Harry was in trouble, or in class. This was strictly business, no hot chocolate would follow this conversation.

"Whilst the content of your essay is… adequate… you penmanship is atrocious. Do you have a particular problem using a quill Mr. Potter?"

Harry hesitated a moment, trying to figure out the best way to answer without giving anything personal away.

"A little sir, I've never used a quill before coming here."

"I see. You did not have any trouble using muggle writing implements?"

_How to answer? Snape had an uncanny ability to detect lies._

"A little sir." _There, that was easy._

"Elaborate."

_Damn! Should have known that wouldn't be good enough for him!_

"It was a bit messy sir."

"I fail to understand how your penmanship can be this bad when your motor skills are clearly refined, as I have seen by your expertise in preparing potions ingredients and your… _flying_… ability." Snape drawled.

_Oh for god's sake just tell him and maybe he'll leave me alone! _Harry took a deep breath and prepared to reveal another small detail of his life with his relatives.

"I wasn't allowed to be better than my cousin, so I never tried to improve my handwriting. Sir." Harry was glad he had his back to his Professor, so the man could not see how embarrassed he was.

There was a long pause before Snape spoke again, the silence in the room was deafening. Harry hated these types of pauses, it meant Snape was thinking, and Snape thinking would end badly for Harry.

"What happened when you _were_ better than your cousin?"

"I wasn't." Harry answered, but the hesitation was enough for Snape to see through it.

Harry kept his eyes down as he heard Snape move slowly around the counter so that he was standing in front of him.

"Look at me, Mr. Potter." Snape commanded calmly.

Harry looked up slowly after a few moments, dreading what was to come.

"You were better than your cousin at something, your relatives found out, then informed you that you were not to appear to out-do him in anything in the future. Correct?"

Harry nodded, avoiding eye-contact with the imposing man.

"They did more than just talk to you, did they not?"

Harry looked away quickly, he was getting very apprehensive and he could feel his heartbeat speeding up, pounding against his chest.

"Harry."

There is was again, _Harry._ Harry shook his head, screwing his eyes shut as tears formed behind them. It was a painful memory, too painful to relive.

"Tell me Harry." Snape's voice was smooth and full of concern.

"Nothing." Harry whispered, clenching his fists at his sides to try to control himself. _He would not cry!_

He took a few deep breaths and willed the tears away. Once he was sure they would not fall from his eyes, he opened them and blinked quickly a few times before looking up slowly. Snape was stood leaning back against one of the student desks, his arms were folded across his chest and he looked down at Harry with a concerned expression. Harry's resolve was crumbling, but there was no way he could say the words, even if he wanted to. Instead, he thought of other things the Dursley's had done and came up with an answer he could say.

"They locked me in my cupboard." It was barely above a whisper and he felt Snape's eyes scrutinizing him.

Unconsciously, Harry scrunched his shoulders and took a tiny pace backwards, away from Snape's penetrating gaze and intimidating stance.

"They locked you in your cupboard." Snape said slowly, as if he didn't know whether to believe it or not.

Harry gulped, then nodded in assurance, hoping beyond all hope that Snape would believe him and leave it at that.

"That was your typical punishment for disobeying rules at home?" Snape asked, seemingly willing Harry to lie to him.

Avoiding eye contact, Harry nodded, then muttered a 'yes sir'.

"You are lying to me."

"No! I don't…I…I'm not doing this anymore! You can't make me answer questions like this! I don't care what you do!" Harry shouted, a mixture of fear and panic and anger coursing through his veins, making him feel slightly dizzy and very agitated.

He backed up and felt the corner of a desk behind him prod into his back. He reached behind and grabbed hold of it, trying to steady himself as he took deep breaths. He felt like his lungs weren't getting any oxygen, stars danced in his vision and he could hear blood pounding in his ears. He squeezed his eyes shut and fell to the floor, gasping for breath. Snape's voice penetrated through the haze of his mind.

"Harry! Breath slowly. You are having a panic attack. Just try to calm down and breathe normally," Snape intoned.

Harry did as he said and slowly managed to get control of his breathing. He opened his eyes and realized he was kneeling on the cold stone floor of the dungeon classroom. He was also surprised to see Snape knelt beside him, a warm and comforting hand resting between his shoulders. Harry looked into his Professor's eyes and nodded in reassurance, not trusting his voice at the moment. Snape nodded back in understanding, then rose and strode over to supply closet behind his desk. Harry shakily got to his feet, blinking away the stars behind his eyes and continuing to concentrate on his breathing as his sense of balance slowly returned. Snape returned and held out a vial containing a pale purple liquid.

"It is a calming draft." Snape said matter-of-factly, but without any menace.

Harry took it with a shaking hand and downed it in one, not caring how it tasted. It was quite nice actually, Harry thought as he held out the empty vial for Snape to take. Snape retrieved the vial from Harry's outstretched hand, took it over to the sink and deposited it in the basin carefully, then returned to stand in front of Harry with his arms crossed.

"Better?" He asked Harry.

"Yes. Thanks." Harry was now embarrassed beyond belief. He had just screamed at his Professor – who had helped him loads since coming here – then acted like a stupid little girl by having a panic attack. _A panic attack! Get a sodding grip of yourself Harry!_ _You'll be the laughing stock of the school if anyone ever finds out!_ He admonished himself internally and studiously refused to meet Snape's eyes, less he see the disappointment and disgust Snape was sure to have for him.

"I think that will be enough for tonight. You may go." Snape sighed.

Without looking up, Harry nodded his thanks and fled the classroom, not daring to chance a glance back at the man he was sure must hate him now.

OoOo

Severus sat in his favourite armchair in his quarters, cradling a glass of firewhiskey and gazing into the fireplace. He watched the flames flickering, consuming the wood logs slowly. Every crackle could be heard in the otherwise silent room. Long dark shadows engulfed the sitting room, the only light coming from the fire. Severus was worried. He was worried about Harry, about what his relatives had done to him and about his temper, which he was sure was a result of being abused.

Some children became overly anxious and fearful of everything and everyone. Some children became bullies, not knowing how to relate to others civilly. Harry, Harry was most unusual; he didn't show fear often, he wasn't particularly skittish, his flinch reflex wasn't bad, he was defiant and had a temper yes, but he wasn't a bully. He wasn't nasty or vindictive towards others, he didn't ridicule people, feeling the need for control. Harry had most likely developed a certain amount of apathy towards his treatment, but Severus was troubled as to how far the abuse had gone. He had a nagging suspicion that Harry had been physically abused, but with no outward signs he was loath to try and drag the boy to Poppy for a check-up. Harry would probably throw a serious tantrum at the suggestion and would most likely need to be put into a full body bind and levitated to get him there. He ran a hand through his lanky locks and drained the liquid from his glass, relishing the slow burn down his throat. Sighing, Severus heaved himself to his feet and decided to go to bed, completely at a loss as how to proceed with his temperamental young snake.

OoOo

Two days had passed since his detention with Snape that had resulted in him having a panic attack. Snape had barely spoken to him in the subsequent detentions; just gave him instructions and left him to it. Zabini however, seemed more hostile every day, to the point where Harry dreaded going to bed at night, less there be another confrontation. He was glad he had Draco and Teddy with him, but he was finding it harder and harder to keep control of his temper around the bully.

Harry pulled the drapes of his four poster bed closed and wearily pulled off his school shirt. He had been slumped over a desk completing his transfiguration homework for the past two hours and felt stiff as a board. He stretched carefully, trying to iron out the kinks in his back and shoulders when he felt the presence of someone else in the room. Then he heard the door open and realized his roommates had come up too. An instant later, he heard the unmistakable sound of his drapes being flung back along the rail and turned around in horror to find Zabini next to his bed, the drawn-back drape in his hand, and Teddy and Draco standing by the door, horror written across their faces.

Zabini's face had been wearing a smirk, but that had disappeared the moment he laid eyes on Harry's back, replaced with a look that was a mixture between disgust and horror.

Anger boiled in Harry's chest, _they knew his secret!_ He had tried so hard to conceal it, and now all his roommates, including the boy who hated him, had seen it with their own eyes.

"Damn you Zabini!" Harry shouted, grabbing the drape and wrenching it from the stunned boy's hands. Anger turned to humiliation and Harry could feel the colour rise in his cheeks.

"What the hell happened Harry?!" Draco shouted, clearly upset and unable to hide it.

"Just what is going on here?" A prefect's voice – Marcus Flint – boomed through the open doorway. Marcus took in the sight before him; two boys stood aghast just inside the room, another boy stood by the bed, a look of horror on his face, and a small, pale boy sat on his bed, shirtless, his shoulders hitching as if he were crying.

Harry couldn't take it anymore, he couldn't stand the looks on their faces, judging him, pitying him, disgusted by him. With a strangled sob Harry collapsed onto his bed, burying his face in his pillow, trying to shut out the rest of the world_. His life was over, they all knew. His friends wouldn't like him anymore, they wouldn't want to be friends with an ugly freak who was covered in scars and bruises. And what if they thought he'd deserved the beatings? That he was a naughty, trouble causing little swine who would do nothing but cause trouble for them? What if the rest of the school found out? Oh no, Zabini! He would tell everyone! He would taunt Harry even more now! Zabini would use this to humiliate him every chance he got! Should he make a run for it? No, there was nowhere to run to – he would not go back to the Dursley's before he absolutely had to. _

Harry could feel the tears dampening his pillow as he struggled to breathe through his sobs and into his pillow. He should turn his head to breathe more easily, but that would mean people could see his face and he couldn't bear the thought of having to face anyone, not now. He just wanted to curl up in his bed and go to sleep and when he woke up he would realize that this was all just a bad dream. Voices broke through his panicked thoughts, he heard the words but the meaning of them did not register in his brain, he was too distraught.

"Get Professor Snape."

"But-"

"Now!"

Harry vaguely heard hurried footsteps moving away from him. There was also some shuffling inside the room and he could hear someone calling his name as if he were a feral cat or something. He ignored them, _it's a dream, just a really, really bad dream. You'll wake up soon, everything will be fine. They don't know anything. _Harry repeated his mantra, over and over, willing it to be true. He did not hear the hurried footsteps approaching their dorm, nor the hushed order for everyone to leave, nor did he hear the door being closed softly behind the retreating boys, leaving the Head of Slytherin House alone with one distraught Harry Potter.

OoOo

Severus' breath left his lungs abruptly when he saw the state of Harry's back and arms. He could not help the anguished groan that escaped his lips as he took in the sight of the pale little boy sobbing into his pillow. _Oh, Harry. You poor child!_ His anguish turned to fury at those despicable, vile excuses for human beings whom had done this to the boy. _How could they? Were they even human?_ Never before had Severus seen such horrific scarring on a child – _not even the Dark Lord would be this cruel to a child! He had to help the boy, he had to get him to Madam Pomfrey._ Severus, using every ounce of self-control he possessed, took deep breaths to quell his anger and concentrate on helping Harry.

He took a few tentative steps forward, calling Harry's name softly as he approached the shaking child on the bed. Harry did not react, not until Severus knelt beside the bed and placed his hand gently on the boy's shoulder. Harry immediately recoiled, turning over on his bed quickly, letting out a surprised and anguished yelp and somehow, the boy managed to scoot away from Severus and turn again, running out of bed and landing on the floor with a heavy bump.

"Harry, please child. Calm down, I mean you no harm." Severus pleaded, his voice so soft he didn't even recognize it as his own.

Severus stood slowly and made his way carefully around the bed, keeping his distance so as not to frighten the boy any further. Harry had curled himself up into a ball on the cold stone floor and was shaking uncontrollably, his muffled sobs tore at Severus' heart.

"Harry, please sit up. It's very cold on the floor." Again, the tenderness in his voice surprised him.

Severus saw the boy shake his head slightly, the movement restricted by his bruised and skinny arms covering his head and face. Severus took note of the criss-cross of scars covering Harry's back and upper arms, there were fresh deep welts there too, probably a couple of weeks old. Bruises covered his arms, all in various stages of healing – from deep purple to the fading yellow tint of older injuries. He swallowed the bile rising in his throat and tried once again to coax the child from his current position.

"Harry, please sit up. There is no-one else here, it's just us. Let me help you."

Harry sniffled a little and his chest rose and fell deeply as if the child was trying to regain his composure. After a few moments, Severus heard a muffled reply.

"I don't need any help. Just leave me alone."

"I can't do that child, I'm not going anywhere so you may as well sit up." Severus kept his voice soft.

The boy stilled, then wiped his face as he slowly rose into a sitting position, pulling his knees up to his chest defensively and readjusted his glasses on his face as he sniffled and hiccupped, trying to regain his composure. Severus could not help but be awed by the boy's strength of character. After everything the poor child had been through, he still had it in him to try to appear composed when facing someone.

"Can you stand?" He asked after a few moments, allowing the boy to compose himself.

Harry nodded, then pushed himself up shakily, not meeting his Professor's eyes. As he stood, Severus saw further damage to the boy's torso; old scars, half-healed cuts and yellowish bruising littered his tiny body. Severus could also see Harry's ribcage clearly defined, despite him taking the nutritional potion for 2 weeks. Severus stood slowly and turned to the boy's dresser. He opened a drawer and took out one of Harry's t-shirts then held it out towards the boy, his arm outstretched. He did not want to get too close to the boy and startle him further. Without looking up, Harry took the proffered garment with a trembling hand and hastily drew it over his head before putting his arms through the holes and smoothing it down carefully. Harry returned his gaze to the floor, standing very still with his shoulders hunched and his body held rigidly in place.

"Harry, I'm going to take you to the Infirmary so we can get those cuts and bruises healed, alright?"

Harry shrunk further away, backing up against the far wall and shook his head slowly, keeping his eyes on the floor.

Severus sighed then took a couple of tentative steps towards the boy and knelt down in front of him, still keeping at a slight distance so as not to intimidate him.

"Don't you want to be healed?" Severus asked.

Harry murmured something unintelligible and Severus shuffled forward a little more.

"I can't hear you Harry." Severus said softly.

"Gonna get in trouble." He heard the boy mumble, his head bowed.

"You're not in any trouble, Harry. I promise."

"The Dursley's." Harry whispered.

Severus swallowed the sudden rage rising in him and willed his voice to remain calm. Slowly, carefully, he reached out and gently grasped Harry's chin, raising it slowly so Harry would look at him. Harry flinched slightly at the contact, but remained still. Severus waited a moment while the boy made eye contact with him.

"You will _never_ return to the Dursley's Harry. I swear to you, I will not let that happen." As the words left his mouth, he knew he meant it. He would take the boy himself if need be. He looked steadily into Harry's eyes, willing the frightened child to believe him.

"I promise." He said, emphasizing his point.

Harry sniffed again, Severus could see the emotions flitting across the boy's face and eyes. Fear and mistrust showed, then slowly, as Severus kept his gaze steady, he finally saw a ray of hope shining in those red and puffy emerald eyes. A few moments longer and Harry murmured a quiet 'okay'. Severus stood slowly and stepped back, gesturing with his arm for Harry to move from his spot against the wall. Harry glanced up at Severus, then lowered his head again and stepped forward slowly.

"It won't hurt Harry. I'll be with you. Come."

Severus put a comforting hand gently on the boy's thin shoulder and guided him out of the door and through the common room toward the portrait hole. The common room was full of students, who, at their emergence from the dormitory, fell silent and stared at the pair making their way steadily across the room. Severus glared at the students as he passed, keeping his hand on Harry's shoulder. He had felt the boy tense as soon as they had entered, and knew the boy was terrified. At Severus' glare, the students averted their eyes quickly. It was clear that every Slytherin knew of Harry's injuries and Severus felt a little angry at the three boys' inconsiderate actions, revealing Harry's secret to the whole House. He would deal with them later, right now, Harry needed him.

They finally reached the portrait hole and stepped through, the cool air of the dungeon corridor coming as a welcome relief. The common room had seemed claustrophobic and stuffy and it wasn't just because of the large throng of students occupying it.

"Alright Harry?" He asked as he felt the boy's shoulders rise and fall from taking deep breaths.

He looked down and saw the boy nod without raising his head.

"Come then," Severus said, guiding Harry down the corridor and into the Infirmary where he led Harry over to a bed and called out for Madam Pomfrey.

Next Chapter – The Infirmary

_**A/N: **__Sorry if this ends a little abruptly but I'm aware of how long this chapter is compared to my others and it seemed like a natural break – you do all know Poppy will heal him, right? Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter, more coming soon!_


	9. Chapter 9 - The Infirmary

_**A/N:** Thank you everyone for the reviews! It means a great deal to me that people are enjoying my story, I hope you like this one, I promise I will keep updating regularly - I try for once a week - but there may be a small delay over xmas for obvious reasons :-) I won't keep you guessing about Zabini much longer, but it won't be revealed in this chapter (sorry!). Anyway, enjoy!_

Chapter 9 – The Infirmary

Severus spoke quietly to Poppy, explaining what he had seen of Harry's injuries. He could see her face pale considerably, a horrified expression on her face. She turned away from the small child sitting tentatively on the hospital bed for a few moments to compose herself, then turned back and approached the boy carefully.

"Harry, are you wearing underwear?" She said softly.

Harry frowned, then nodded slowly, a look of puzzlement on his face. She summoned a set of privacy screens and placed them around Harry's bed.

"I need you to take off your t-shirt and lower your trousers. Can you do that for me please?"

Harry paled even more, to the point where his skin seemed to look grey in colour. He looked to Severus fearfully.

"Go on Harry, it'll be alright. Madam Pomfrey will heal you. It's alright."

He saw the boy wrestling with his thoughts, his eyes flitting nervously between Poppy and himself. He could understand the boy's reluctance and fear, but this needed to be done. He would have given him a calming draught but until Poppy had examined him properly and decided on his treatment, the draught could react badly with other potions the medi-witch may need to administer. Slowly, the boy seemed to come to a decision, and with a resigned sigh, he carefully peeled off his t-shirt and pushed himself up from the bed before turning and lowering his trousers.

There were more scars and welts across his thighs, and no doubt the boy's backside would be the same. Severus sat down in the chair beside Harry's bed and put his head in his hands, the emotional rollercoaster he had been riding had exhausted him and he found he actually felt like crying. He had not cried since Lily died, _but this poor child! No, he had to keep his composure, for the child's sake if nothing else._ Severus breathed in a lungful of air and lowered his hands, schooling his facial features into a neutral expression.

OoOo

Madam Pomfrey had waved her wand over his welts whilst reciting an incantation and applied a cool salve to his bruises, then given him three different potions and told him he would stay in the Infirmary for the night. Professor Snape had given him some pajamas to change into and they had then both stepped behind the privacy screen while he got changed.

Harry had been acutely embarrassed when he had to strip down to his underwear, but he had been absolutely mortified when they had asked him to let them see his bum. His face had seemed to be glowing deep red from embarrassment and humiliation and even now, as he put on the hospital pajamas, he could feel his face burning and shame washing through him. _He would never be able to face his friends again, never mind the rest of the school!_

Harry hoped Snape had been telling the truth about him not going back to the Dursley's. He had looked in the man's eyes and seen nothing but sincerity there and he wanted to believe him, but years of being let down by adults had made him weary. _Still, Snape had not given him any reason to mistrust him, he had followed through on everything so far… but this was different. This was the Dursley's, and if he wasn't going back to them where would he stay? _Confused and still highly embarrassed, Harry finished dressing and climbed into the hospital bed, pulling the covers up to his chin and resting on his side. He could hear Snape and Madam Pomfrey talking but it was muffled and he couldn't make out any words.

A minute or so later, Snape pulled back the privacy screen and sat down in the chair beside his bed.

"How do you feel now, Harry?" Snape asked in that soft soothing voice.

Harry still had difficulty believing his snarky Head of House could speak like that. He didn't trust his voice, and he had decided that if he didn't speak, they wouldn't ask too many questions anyway. He was not ready to deal with anything right now, not his friends – if they still were his friends that is – not the rest of the students or teachers, and definitely not questions. In lieu of a verbal answer, Harry shrugged his shoulders. _How did he feel? Awful, embarrassed, ashamed, frightened – no – terrified about what was going to happen to him now, not to mention how everyone was going to treat him. He didn't want pity, he didn't want people thinking he was weak – he wasn't! _

"Does it hurt anywhere?" Snape's voice cut through his thoughts.

Harry shook his head, dislodging his glasses from his face. Snape reached out slowly and plucked them from his face, placing them gently on the bedside table.

"Okay Harry. Get some rest, I'll come and see you in the morning. Alright?"

Harry nodded again at the now blurry shape of Professor Snape and watched as his form retreated across the room and disappeared into the shadows. Despite his worries, Harry found that the stress of the evening had worn him out and he began to feel sleepy. Giving in to his fatigue, he closed his eyes and allowed sleep to claim him.

Despite his tiredness, Harry did not sleep well that night. He had woken up from nightmares twice during the night – although, thankfully, he had not cried out and woken Madam Pomfrey – and had spent what seemed like hours staring out into the shadows of the dark Infirmary. The large open room was a little disconcerting when in it alone in the dark. The long stained glass windows let in plenty of moonlight, but the shadows cast because of it did not help Harry relax after waking. _Anyone could be hiding in them! Even Uncle Vernon! Some of those shadows were big enough even for him!_ Harry's mind refused to let him forget the events that had led to him being in the Infirmary in the first place. He didn't think he would be able to face anyone tomorrow, never mind attend classes. By now, Zabini would have told the whole school about his scars and bruises.

Madam Pomfrey had been shocked – he had seen the expression on her face, no matter how much she had tried to hide it – but she had not pushed him for information about his injuries. He had to admit, the aches and pains he had been so used to were now almost completely gone, allowing him much more movement without having to be careful or having to bite back a groan of pain. He was grateful for the help, but would much rather have the aches and pains than have everyone know about it, about him.

Finally, after one of the longest nights of young Harry's life the sun began to rise, throwing slithers of fresh bright sunlight across the Infirmary floor and banishing the long black shadows from the room. Harry's relief was short lived though as he contemplated the day ahead. _Maybe he could just stay here and Snape could bring his homework and help him practice spells and…woah! Where the hell did that come from? Did seeing Snape not bother him? Despite Snape being the one who found him crying and saw __**everything?!**_ _He had cried in front of Snape – oh no! In front of his roommates too!_ At that further realization Harry groaned and buried his head under the blanket, refusing to face the world.

OoOo

Severus had had a long and difficult night. After leaving the Infirmary he had retreated to his Quarters and firecalled the Headmaster, he had then spent over two hours in Albus Dumbeldore's Office informing him of what had transpired. Severus' voice had become hoarse by the time he had described the full extent of Harry's injuries and the ever present twinkle in Albus' eyes had disappeared, replaced with a look of devastation and deep regret. Severus remembered how the normally philosophical man had become angry, pacing back and forth, swearing that he would seek retribution on those damnable muggles for what they had done and vowed that he would do everything in his power to ensure Harry was properly taken care of from now on.

Severus had been reassured by Albus' reaction, it justified his own rage towards the Dursleys and he was certain Albus would allow him to deal out an appropriate punishment for their despicable crimes. After the rage subsided, Severus had spent a while in his memories, going through his interactions with Harry over the last two weeks. No wonder he had a reckless streak, no wonder he had a temper: being locked in a cupboard and beaten half to death for petty little things, it would be enough to drive anyone insane. The child had had no outlet, no-one to comfort him, nothing to ease the pain. Albus' last words to him before he left his Office reverberated through his mind: _'I'm glad he's got you my boy.'_ The thing was, Severus had no idea where to go from here, how to help the poor child.

His mind wandered back to a time when he was a student, when the Marauders had levitated him upside down and threatened to remove his trousers. He would have likely died from embarrassment – Harry was probably feeling at least ten times worse right now. He could understand the child's reluctance to meet anyone's eyes or speak aloud, but he knew he had to do something to help get the boy back on track. If he retreated into himself for too long the repercussions could be disastrous.

After returning from the Headmaster's Office Severus had decided to check on his other snakes, it had been just after 11pm but after what had happened he wouldn't be surprised if there were student's still up – and he also wanted to quash any gossip-mongering before it reached the other Houses.

Entering the Slytherin common room, Severus had been relieved to note that only his two 7th year prefects were still up. They had approached him wearily and told him that they had sent everyone to bed at 10pm and had warned them not to go blabbing anything to the other houses. They had also informed him that it was Blaise Zabini who had told everyone in the common room and according to some first-years, Mr. Zabini had been harassing Harry and his two friends since arriving at Hogwarts. After thanking them for their diligence and handling of the students, Severus retired back to his quarters, thinking he would have to make sure Mr. Zabini learnt the meaning of Slytherin's most important rule; Slytherin's are family, they stick together and help each other. He would also be assigning the wayward boy a number of detentions to drive the message home.

Back in his quarters, Severus had then gone to his personal lab and brewed a stronger dose of nutritional potion, as well as beginning the long process of brewing another vial of Dittany – a powerful but difficult and time-consuming potion to heal wounds and help prevent scarring on fresh wounds – as Madam Pomfrey's stock had been severely depleted after treating Harry. The dittany would not rid Harry of all his scars, some were too old, but it would lessen the scarring of his more recent injuries, which was something at least. Her words stayed with him as he brewed; _his magic has kept him alive, he has never been treated by healers, neither magical or muggle._

Harry's magic had kept him alive, repaired broken bones, prevented him from bleeding to death, fought off infections and had blocked his brain to the worst of the pain. _If he was capable of blocking out pain, or at least the worst of it, maybe he would be able to master the skill of occlumency in the coming years. That would certainly help him in the future, Harry was too young and volatile right now to learn the art of blocking one's mind to invaders, but learning how to clear his mind could help his temper._

At 4am Severus went to bed, but he did not sleep. It was too late (or early, depending on how one looked at it), to take a sleeping draught and so he had risen and showered at 6am, taking his time and allowing the hot water to soothe his tired muscles and calm his growing anger at those damnable muggles. His anger had been growing steadily as he had laid in his bed, his mind playing out scenario after scenario of him punishing Harry's relatives for their despicable crimes. In the end, he had had to take a calming draught just to stop himself from going to Privet Drive in the early hours to carry out the retribution he sought on behalf of the poor child. He would wait for Albus, as he realized he would probably end up in Azkaban if he went by himself, and that wouldn't do Harry any good.

He entered his Snakes' common room to head them off before breakfast, he did not want any of them to be under the illusion that it would be acceptable to gossip about last night, especially to students from other Houses. Severus stood in front of the portrait hole with his arms crossed in front of his chest and a glare on his face. The prefects had rounded up all the Snakes and were now waiting quietly for their Head of House to speak, many of them looking rather nervous.

"As you all know, Mr. Potter was taken to the Infirmary last night. Let me make it clear to you all now that I do not tolerate gossiping or bad-mouthing of a fellow Snake, neither in private or public. You are to say nothing to students from other Houses about what you may have seen or heard regarding Mr. Potter. Have I made myself clear?" He said commandingly, looking around the room.

There were a few muffled 'yes sir's, but most of the students preferred to nod rather than give a verbal answer. With one last searching glare, Severus nodded to his snakes, told them to get to breakfast, then disappeared through the portrait hole began walking towards the Infirmary. He halted when he heard his name being called, turning, he was met with Draco Malfoy and Mr. Nott looking up at him with concerned faces.

"How is Harry, Professor?" His godson asked.

Severus gazed at the two boys and was glad that they were genuinely concerned for Harry's welfare.

"He will be fine, I am on my way to check on him now." Severus replied. He saw the boys' expressions turn from worry to relief.

"Can we see him?" Mr. Nott asked.

"Perhaps, later. Right now you have breakfast to attend to and then your classes. I will keep you informed of Mr. Potter's recovery as necessary." Severus said.

"Okay, thanks Professor." Draco said, disappointed.

Severus waited until the two boys had reached the end of the corridor before turning and heading once again towards the Infirmary.

Severus entered the Infirmary and noted the boy was laying very still, scrunched up under the heavy blanket with only his head poking out on his pillow. His eyes were closed but the tenseness in his face told Severus the boy was awake. Poppy emerged from her office and so he went to speak to her first.

"How is he?" Severus asked quietly.

"Very much the same. He didn't sleep well judging by the circles under his eyes, but I never heard him during the night," the medi-witch began. Severus nodded, knowing how light a sleeper she was.

"I think it would be a good idea to keep him here for the day. He must be very upset and anxious about the other student's reactions. I also think he may be calmed by your presence, he seems to trust you, Severus." Poppy said pointedly.

"Thank you, Poppy. Can you arrange breakfast for us? I'll stay with him until my first class."

"Of course, Severus."

Severus walked steadily over to the boy's bed and sat down in the chair beside it.

"Good morning Harry." He said, his voice light.

Severus saw the slight twitch Harry gave, but the boy continued to feign sleep.

"I know you're awake, so you may as well open your eyes. Here are your glasses." Severus said, picking up the round-rimmed glasses and holding them out towards the tiny child. After a few moments, Harry opened his eyes and slowly brought his arm out from beneath his blanket, took the glasses from him and put them on. He watched the boy blink a few times as his eyes readjusted behind the lenses, then he pulled himself up into a sitting position against his pillows keeping his head lowered.

"I thought I'd join you for breakfast." Severus said, resisting a chuckle as Harry's head shot up in surprise, his mouth agape.

"You're having breakfast here, with me?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Is that a problem?" Severus asked lightly, pleased that the child was too surprised to remain silent.

Harry shook his head, his cheeks colouring slightly at his outburst. Ignoring the child's embarrassment, Severus continued in a light voice, hoping the boy would relax in his presence.

"Did you sleep well?" Severus asked, then sighed as the boy shook his head instead of giving a verbal answer. _At least he was being truthful._

"Is there anything you'd like to talk about? Anything you want to ask me?" Severus asked, trying to coax Harry into speaking.

Again, Harry shook his head. Just then, two house elves appeared with a 'pop' carrying their breakfasts on trays. Severus took one and gave it to Harry, then produced a vial of the stronger nutritional potion he had brewed just hours before, and gave it to Harry. The boy took it without question but Severus saw the boy screw his face up at the thought of taking it and he resisted a smile. He then took the second tray from the elves and nodded a quick 'thank you' at them before they disappeared with another 'pop'.

"Drink the potion, then eat up. You're going to need your strength for next week." Severus said, hoping to pique the boy's interest. He was not disappointed.

"What for? Sir." Harry added the 'Sir' after a short pause, as if just realizing whom he was talking to.

"Mr. Flint is holding Quidditch trials next week." Severus said, watching the boy intently for a reaction.

Harry's eyebrows furrowed in suspicion, sensing a manipulation. A_h ha – there it was, a slytherin mind at work._

"I don't need strength or energy to watch people flying, sir." The tone of Harry's voice told Severus he did not believe that was the reason, but he wanted Severus to tell him rather than make an assumption and be wrong. Severus decided not to tease the child, even if it did bring out more of the confident, defiant nature that Severus needed to make sure the boy still possessed.

"Of course not, but I thought that as you are an adept flyer, you would want to try out for the team." Severus said coolly, before taking a bite of his sausage.

"I'm allowed?" Harry asked, hope evident in his voice, but still unsure.

"I wouldn't suggest it if you weren't." Severus answered matter-of-factly.

"Oh." Harry replied timidly, then his face lit up as realization hit him.

"So I can play as a first year? Harry said excitedly.

"If you're good enough, yes."

"Brilliant!" Harry said, jumping excitedly in the bed, causing his plate to list precariously.

"Well, are you going to eat up or not?" Severus decided to remind the boy of the vial and plate of food in front of him.

He watched as Harry looked down at his plate, as if just realizing it was there. He cast a quick look at Severus as if to make sure he was serious, then grabbed the vial and downed it in one, scrunching his nose up as he swallowed. Severus then watched the boy covertly as he began to eat his breakfast slowly. Too soon, the boy set down his knife and fork with only half the food eaten.

"You'll need more than that if you're going to play Quidditch Harry." Severus intoned without malice.

"I'm full." Harry said, pouting slightly.

Severus realized he would not be able to get the boy to eat larger meals for some time, but what he could do was ensure the child ate more often. Two or three snacks each day in addition to his main meals would certainly help the boy. He looked back at Harry's plate and sent it back to the kitchens with a sigh.

"You'll be having a snack at ten o'clock, and another at three pm after your lunch, every day, until you're able to eat full meals. Understand?" He asked.

"Yes sir." Harry said miserably.

"This is not a punishment Harry. Tell me, do you like cheese and crackers?"

Harry nodded, his eyes staring intently at his blanket covered legs.

"And fruit?"

Another nod.

"Peanut butter sandwiches?"

This time Harry gave a shrug.

"You've never tried it?" Severus asked.

"No sir." Harry replied quietly.

"Well you can try it, and if you don't like it you won't have it as one of your snacks. We'll start with cheese and crackers and fruit today. How does that sound?"

"Really? You mean, I get to eat them as well as my normal meals?" Harry asked, still unsure.

"Yes, that is precisely what I mean."

Harry lifted his head to meet Severus', then gave a nod and smiled happily at him.

"That's that settled then. I have to go to classes now Harry, you'll spend the day here and I'll come and see you again at lunch. I want you to get as much rest as you can, alright?"

"Yes sir."

Severus rose and gave the boy a reassuring nod in favour of any physical contact, then left the Infirmary to attend to his classes for the day.

OoOo

Harry managed to sleep a little through the day, helped by Madam Pomfrey putting shades on the windows to block out the harsh sunlight. Lunch with his Professor had been fairly quiet, and he hadn't asked about his relatives, something which Harry was grateful for – but he knew that would not last – sooner or later, his Professor would start asking questions again. Professor Snape had said that he would come and collect him from the Infirmary at four o'clock and take him back to Slytherin House. He had also said that Teddy and Draco had been asking after him and wanted to come see him, but seeing as he was being released that day, there was little point in allowing them to visit.

Harry had mixed feelings about his friends. He was glad that they still wanted to be friends with him, but he was extremely anxious about the reunion, not to mention having to face everyone so soon. He knew he couldn't hide out in the Infirmary forever, but that didn't make it any easier to deal with the thought of the other student's reaction to him. _How would they act around him? Would they ask him questions? Make fun of him? Ignore him? Pity him?_ He did not want any of that, he just wanted to be treated like everybody else, _why couldn't things go right for him, just once?_

At exactly four o'clock, Professor Snape strode into the Infirmary and eyed Harry who was standing rigidly beside his bed. He had dressed and made the bed, complete with hospital corners like his Aunt made him do with his bed at Privet Drive. Everyone else had a duvet, but Harry had never been good enough for a duvet, instead he had had two old worn sheets and a tatty blanket.

"Ready?" Snape asked, tearing Harry away from his thoughts.

Harry screwed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, he was not looking forward to this at all.

"I can understand that you are nervous Harry, but the sooner you rejoin your classmates the sooner this will all blow over. Hold your head high child, you have nothing to be ashamed of." Snape said to him.

Harry wasn't sure the Professor was right, but he nodded anyway and followed the billowing robes out of the Infirmary. They walked in silence through the halls, the only sound was of their footsteps hitting the stone floor. They stopped at the portrait that protected the entrance to the Slytherin common room and Professor Snape turned to him once again.

"You can come to me at any time Harry. I am here for you."

Harry nodded in acknowledgement, balling his hands into fists at his sides as he tried to control his rising panic.

"Remember what I said earlier, hold your head high. Be strong Harry, you can do this." Snape said, gently resting a comforting hand on his shoulder and guiding him towards the portrait.

Harry took another deep breath, then gathered his courage and uttered the password, as soon as it opened he stepped through before he lost his nerve. The comforting presence of his Professor kept him grounded as he entered a very busy common room. The atmosphere in the room changed at once and conversations were abruptly halted as they realized who had just walked in. Harry glanced around the room quickly, everyone was watching him, weighing him up. The silence in the room was deafening and Harry began to have difficulty in breathing. Just when Harry thought he would have another panic attack, he saw a shock of blonde hair moving through the throng of students and realized Draco was walking towards him with Teddy just a step behind him.

"Hi Harry! Feeling better?" Draco asked lightly, but there was concern in his eyes.

"Yeah, much better thanks." Harry gave him a weak smile, grateful for his friend's understanding in him not wanting to make an issue.

"Great! I've got some notes for you from today's classes if you want them?" Teddy said, keeping the conversation light.

"That'd be great, thanks." Harry felt deep gratitude towards his friends.

He looked up at his Professor and nodded, conveying to the man that he would be alright. Snape gave a tiny nod in return that was almost undetectable then released his shoulder, allowing Harry to follow his friend's up to his dorm.

Next Chapter – Temper unleashed


	10. Chapter 10 - Tempers Unleashed

_**A/N: **As promised, just in time for the New Year! Hope you all enjoy!_

Chapter 10 – Tempers unleashed.

Harry was glad to be back in his dorm room where nobody was staring at him like he'd grown a horn and tail. He could see his friends were nervous and tried to put them at ease, the last thing he wanted was for his friends to walk on egg shells around him.

"Thanks guys, I meant what I said down there you know. I really am fine," Harry said.

"No you're not Harry. You don't have to put on a brave face for us you know." Draco replied.

"I'm not a china doll, I won't break you know. Look, I'm grateful for your concern and everything, but I really am ok, I just want to be treated like everyone else, instead of like a freak." Harry pleaded.

"Ok Harry, we'll try, it's just…well…how can you be fine?" Draco asked.

"Dunno, I guess…I'm used to it." Harry said shrugging his shoulders. "I'd really just love to forget about it."

Harry could see Draco and Teddy weren't convinced, but they dropped the matter anyway. Harry decided to change the conversation and hopefully, they would relax and start acting more normally around him.

"So, did I miss anything terribly important in classes?" Harry asked brightly.

"Nah, oh wait! You know that Gryffindor know-it-all? Granger? She managed to do the unlocking charm today! Flitwick fell off his stack of books in surprise - it was so funny!" Teddy said, chuckling at the memory.

"Cool! I would've liked to see that!" Harry said smiling at Teddy.

"Right, well, here are my notes. We've got homework for charms and transfiguration so if you need any help…" Teddy trailed off as Zabini entered the room.

The three boys turned to glare at Zabini, who stood in the doorway looking uncomfortable. He made eye contact with the boys slowly, before asking if he could speak with Harry alone. Immediately Teddy and Draco came to stand at either side of Harry in a protective stance.

"What do you want Zabini?" Draco spat.

"To talk to Potter." Zabini replied, but without much venom.

"So talk." Draco shrugged.

"Alone."

"Not a chance Zabini." Teddy said.

Zabini looked at Harry for help, after a few moments he sighed and muttered an 'ok', indicating to his friends he would be fine. He wasn't scared of Zabini and didn't want his friends ending up in trouble for being overprotective of him and doing something stupid.

"We'll be right outside Harry. You need us, you call us." Teddy said pointedly as he glared at Zabini, then crossed his arms over his chest and stalked steadily to the door, closely followed by Draco imitating his stance.

"What do you want Zabini?" Harry said, lifting his chin slightly to show the other boy he wasn't scared of him.

"I just…well…I'm sorry for being…well…you know…for being a prat with you." Zabini stuttered over his words, clearly not used to apologising.

"Are you?" Harry said, still not trusting the other boy.

"Yeah, I am. I'm sorry. That's all." Zabini said dejectedly, then turned and left the room, giving Teddy and Draco a glare as he passed them. The two boys re-entered the dorm room quickly, concern written on their faces.

"He apologised." Harry said quickly, knowing what his friends were about to ask.

"Really?" Teddy asked incredulously.

"Yeah." Harry replied.

"Well, I still don't trust him." Draco stated.

"Me neither, let's just hope he'll stop being a prat now." Harry said, picking up Teddy's notes and beginning to read them. It wouldn't do well for him to fall behind in his subjects, he figured if he kept up with his work then people would see he was alright and didn't need coddling.

Dinner in the Great Hall was a tense affair. The Slytherin table quieted as soon as Harry and his friends entered, but to Harry's immense relief, only a handful of students from the other Houses acknowledged his entrance, merely giving him a quick quizzical look before turning back to their friends. _At least the whole school doesn__'__t know._ Harry sat down with his friends and looked up to the Head Table, Snape was watching him intently and raised an eyebrow in question at Harry. He nodded in reassurance then turned back to his friends, refusing to make eye contact with the other Slytherin students. After a few moments, Harry felt a presence behind him and turned to see Prefect Flint stood behind him.

"Professor Snape asked me to show you the game of Quidditch this weekend, are you free Saturday morning?" Flint asked stiffly, as if he didn't want to be there.

"Erm, yeah sure. Thanks, what time?" Harry asked, slightly puzzled.

"10am, make sure you have a decent breakfast Potter, you'll need your energy." Flint said, then strode off quickly.

"What was all that about?" Draco asked once Flint was out of earshot.

"Snape said I could try out for the House team, trials are next week." Harry explained sheepishly.

"Seriously? But first years have never been allowed to play!" Draco said excitedly.

"Well, they must have changed the rules or something then." Harry said, noticing that once again he was attracting more attention than he wanted.

"But how come you get a special practice with Flint then?" Draco asked, furrowing his brows.

"Well, I don't really know the rules that well I guess,"

"How can you not know the rules of Quidditch?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Raised by muggles remember?" Harry replied, rolling his eyes.

"Oh yeah. Sorry, forgot." Draco gave him an apologetic smile.

The Slytherin table were whispering even more now and Harry guessed some of them had overheard the conversation and were now talking about him being allowed to try out for the Quidditch team. He took some deep breaths and concentrated on his food, trying to stay calm. _He hated it when people talked about him, hated it! He felt like getting up and yelling at everyone to leave him alone, but that would just make them even worse. No, stay calm. Eat quickly, and get back to the dorm room where it__'__s safe._

Harry was up early on Saturday morning, eager to get back on a broom and learn how to play Quidditch. Teddy had found a trophy with Harry's Dad's name on it and they had found out that his Dad had been a seeker for Gryffindor. Harry didn't know much about his parent's, but somehow knowing his Dad had played - even if it was for a different house - made Harry feel proud. He sat at breakfast, downing his potion without a second thought and tucking into his porridge with abandon. He was determined to do well, and Snape and Flint had both said he needed to eat more. He had not managed to finish the bowl of porridge, but if he forced anymore down he was certain he'd be sick, so he made his way down to the Quidditch pitch and selected a school broom that looked less battered than the rest.

"Good to see you're punctual, Potter." A voice came from behind Harry. He whirled round in surprise to see Prefect Flint standing idly in the doorway to the broom store. Harry gave him a shy smile and followed the 5th year out and onto the pitch. Harry stood looking around the pitch and stands with his mouth agape.

"Impressive isn't it?" Flint smiled.

Harry clamped his mouth shut and nodded. Flint gestured for Harry to follow him over to a large wooden trunk and began explaining the basics of the game to Harry. Once he was happy that Harry had understood his instructions, he showed Harry the different balls used and then allowed Harry to go up on his broom and chase the golden snitch.

Two hours later, Harry stood enjoying the hot shower in the changing rooms. _He loved this game!_ Flint had pushed him hard throughout the practice, but Harry loved every minute of it, chasing the snitch, flying through the air as fast as his broom would take him, completing dives and rolls. He had caught the snitch 24 times before Flint had called him down, given him a pat on the back and told him to shower, telling Harry he was a natural on a broom and that Gryffindor would have no chance this year. Harry stretched his aching muscles under the hot water for a few more minutes before finally exiting the shower and heading back to the castle for lunch.

OoOo

"He's a natural sir, like he was born to be on a broom. Pity he's stuck with one of those school brooms though." Flint said, informing Severus of how practice had gone.

"So he's good enough for the team?" Severus enquired.

"Definitely sir, Higgs isn't a patch on Potter. He caught the snitch 24 times in 2 hours! And he understood all the rules first time too. It's impossible to believe that's only the second time he's ever flown. Sir." Flint was getting rather excited and had almost forgotten whom he was speaking to.

"Very good Mr. Flint. I will see about acquiring him a better broom. There's been no further trouble between him and Mr. Zabini?"

"Not that I know of sir, they've stayed out of each other's way mainly."

"Okay, thank you Mr. Flint. Ensure Mr. Zabini is outside my office at 6pm."

"Yes Sir." Flint took his leave and Severus turned back toward his office. The boy needed a decent broom, quickly. But first, he needed a long overdue chat with Mr. Zabini.

At 6pm that evening, Severus heard a tentative knock on his door and gave a commanding 'enter'. Mr. Zabini opened the door and shuffled into his office, closing the door tentatively behind him.

"Take a seat Mr. Zabini." He waited until the boy sat down in the wooden straight backed chair in front of his desk then peered down at him, ensuring the boy was sufficiently intimidated.

"I understand there have been problems between yourself and Mr. Potter. Please explain."

The boy looked up at him in terror, then took a few breaths before he began speaking.

"It started off as just a bit of fun sir. He was a bit strange. I didn't know…I didn't realize…" The boy trailed off, fixing his gaze on his hands in his lap.

"What is the most important rule of Slytherin House Mr. Zabini?" Severus said, barely keeping his temper in check.

"We're family sir, we help each other and stick together." The boy said, keeping his head down.

"And do you believe your actions so far have abided by that rule?"

"No sir. I apologized…you know, when…when…"

"Indeed." Severus said. _Well that was something at least._

"Why did you find it necessary to taunt your roommates in the first place?" Severus asked, determined to get to the bottom of the boy's behaviour.

Zabini shrugged his shoulders.

"Do not shrug your shoulders at me!" Severus shouted in frustration.

He saw the boy flinch at his raised voice and reigned in his temper.

"I'm waiting." He said menacingly, but quietly.

"I thought that, well, my Dad always said that, people, well that I should show everyone I was…you know…that I was…he said some people are leaders and others are followers and that I should make it clear that I… that I wasn't a follower. Sir." Silence descended on the room as Severus took in what the boy had meant.

"Your…Father," Severus said slowly, dragging the syllables out. "How does he discipline you at home, Mr. Zabini?"

The child looked up quickly, then returned his eyes to his hands, which were now fiddling nervously in his lap. Severus waited, praying it would not be anywhere near as horrific as Harry's situation.

"I got spanked mostly Sir. Nothing like Potter though, nowhere near as bad." Zabini said, shaking his head at the same time.

"Sometimes…sometimes he would cane my hands, told me never to show weakness." The child mumbled, so Severus only just heard him.

"Let me see your hands." Severus said, holding his hands out for the boy's. Zabini complied and Severus turned them over slowly, inspecting them for marks.

"He never used a cane anywhere else?" Severus asked.

"No sir. Like I said, nothing like Potter."

"Did you need healing after you Father's punishments?"

Only once, my Dad was careful not to go too far after that."

"Alright Mr. Zabini, I am assigning you a week's worth of detention, to be served with Mr. Filch, for your behaviour towards your roommates. I also require a 3 foot essay on the importance of trust and respect towards your peers. I trust I will not hear of this type of behaviour from you again?" Severus intoned, then dismissed the boy when he got a resounding 'no Sir, it won't happen again.'

Severus collapsed into his chair and blew out a breath. The child had been sincere in his remorse and although he knew he would have to speak to the boy further about his behaviour and his Father's 'instructions', he believed he would be able to steer the child away from his Father's manipulations given enough time. He had been tempted to punish the boy more than that, but in light of the boy's admission, he supposed any further punishment would be counter-productive in the long-run.

OoOo

"Snape's probably only doing it 'cos he feels sorry for him." Harry had heard those words more than once since his practice with Prefect Flint two days ago, and he was beginning to wonder whether or not it was true. Most of his housemates had stopped talking about him, some of them were even making an effort to be friendly with him, but there were still some people whispering about him behind his back and casting him glares every once in a while. Zabini had been…less hostile, but no more friendly.

Harry made his way to the potions classroom with Teddy and Draco and they took their usual seats near the front, waiting quietly for Professor Snape to enter. They had soon realized that he was the strictest teacher at the school and Harry was eager to do his best for the man. They did not have to wait long for the Potions Master to arrive and give them instructions to brew a shrinking solution. Harry concentrated fully on his potion, determined to get it right. So it was with immense pride that he bottled and labelled his solution at the end of the lesson and handed it to Professor Snape.

"Well done Mr. Potter, 5 points to Slytherin." Snape said loudly so that the class could hear.

Harry beamed up at the man before returning to his desk and putting his things away, he also heard Snape award 5 points to both of his friends for their solutions, and sneer insults at a couple of the Gryffindor's as well as Zabini for their 'atrocious attempts'. The three friends exited the room smiling proudly at their achievements only to have Zabini state loudly that they had only been given the points because Snape felt sorry him. Harry could feel the anger rising within him; _he deserved those points!_

"What's your problem Zabini?" Harry growled.

Zabini glared at him then stormed off down the corridor without replying.

"Come on Harry, forget about him. You've got Quidditch tryouts tonight haven't you?" Draco asked, trying to get Harry to calm down.

Harry balled his fists at his sides and took a few claming breaths before nodding and following his friends back to their common room.

OoOo

Harry walked out onto the pitch with his school broom in his hand. The assembled students turned and took one look at Harry holding the pitiful looking broom and began laughing, holding their hands over their stomachs.

"Are you serious Potter?" One of them said between chuckles.

"Flint, you can't be serious! He won't last two minutes!" Another boy laughed.

Harry gritted his teeth and walked past the group and onto the pitch itself. _He would not let them spoil this for him! Stay calm, just think about flying, ignore them._

Harry stood apart from the rest of the group and waited for Captain Flint to give them instructions for the trials. After what seemed like an age, Harry was finally in the air, completing a speed run weaving in and out of the stands around the pitch. _It was so easy! Pity the broom wouldn't go any faster._ After that Harry and another boy called Terence Higgs went up against each other chasing the snitch. Higgs was really rough and kept barging Harry but Harry soon got the better of him and caught the snitch, holding it up proudly as he touched back down. Captain Flint congratulated him before sending both up again. After twenty minutes, Harry had caught the snitch again, much to Higgs' increasing frustration. After a third time, where Harry once again beat Higgs to it, Captain Flint called a halt to the trials and named the team for the year.

"…And the new Slytherin seeker…Harry Potter! Well done, kid." Flint said warmly, and Harry beamed.

Harry took his time in the shower, basking in the pride and happiness that consumed him. _He had made the team! Fair and square! Flying was the best thing in the world ever!_

Harry's happiness was short lived however, because the moment he emerged from his wonderfully hot shower, Higgs grabbed him by the collar and shoved him roughly against the wall, towering over Harry's small frame.

"Don't think you're getting away with this Potter! That was my spot you took you little freak!" Higgs spat in Harry's face.

"You're gonna regret ever mounting a broom Potter!" Higgs warned before roughly pushing Harry against the wall again then letting go and storming out of the changing rooms. Harry's head had hit the wall as he had been shoved back and he brought his hand up to rub at it tentatively. _Why couldn't anything ever go right for him? He had earned his place on the team! He had caught the snitch three times and Higgs hadn't caught it once, this was so unfair!_

Harry gathered his things, busying himself so that he would not get upset and allow the tears behind his eyes to fall. He made his way slowly up to the Castle, he was tempted just to go straight back to his dorm, but the trials had been intense and Harry was famished. The walk had calmed him a little, but his earlier distress was beginning to turn to anger. He made it into the Great Hall and walked hurriedly over to his place next to his two friends.

"You were great Harry! We were watching in the stands, you made the team right?" Teddy asked excitedly.

"Yeah I'm seeker, Higgs wasn't impressed though." Harry said, struggling to work up the same amount of enthusiasm as his friends.

"Higgs? Don't worry about him Harry, everyone saw, you were ten times better than him!" Draco said, trying to be reassuring.

Teddy seemed to sense Harry's unease and fixed him with a quizzical look.

"Did he do anything to you Harry?"

Harry shrugged, his ears burning.

"Just said some stuff in the changing rooms that's all."

"Like what? What did he say?" Draco asked, outraged on his friends' behalf.

"Said I'd took his spot and that I'd regret ever mounting a broom." Harry said, eyeing the boy in question sitting further down the table.

His friends followed Harry's gaze to the older and much taller boy, who seemed to realize he was being watched and turned his head to glare at them. Higgs sneered at them, baring his teeth in a feral gesture, then turned to his friends and stated loudly;

"That Potter brat's got some nerve. Thinks he can play the sympathy card just 'cos he's too much of a wimp to stand up to muggles. No wonder they hated him, he's always got to be the centre of attention." Higgs then turned back to Harry and gave him a smug look.

Harry's blood was boiling, he could hear pounding in his ears and his fists were balled so tightly his knuckles were white. Teddy and Draco looked at him fearfully, seeing he was on the verge of exploding.

"Not here Harry, you'll get into too much trouble. We'll get him later, be a Slytherin Harry." Teddy whispered to him.

Harry continued to glare at Higgs who was now laughing at something with his friends.

"Teddy's right Harry, he's not worth it. Calm down, please." Draco pleaded.

Harry screwed his eyes shut and took deep breaths, willing his temper under control. After a few moments, Harry opened his eyes and stared at the food around him. He wasn't hungry anymore. He made to get up from the table and Draco grabbed his arm, clearly panicking about what Harry was going to do.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked, worried.

"I'm not hungry, I'm going back to the common room." Harry ground out between gritted teeth.

"Harry-"

"I'm not going to do anything! I just need some time alone. I promise." Harry replied, then shrugged out of Draco's grasp and hurried out of the Great Hall before anyone else could say anything to him.

OoOo

Severus entered the Headmaster's office and took a seat when offered.

"Severus! Lemon drop?"

"No thank you Headmaster. What is the reason for my summoning?" Severus asked, making it clear he did not want to engage in small talk.

"Always straight to the point, Severus." The Headmaster smiled.

"Albus-" Severus started but was cut off by the man in question raising his hands in supplication.

"I need to discuss Harry's situation with you. I know you have come to care for the boy, I was wondering whether you would be willing to make the arrangement of caring for him more…official?"

"Official, Albus?" Severus asked, drawing his eyebrows together.

"He needs a guardian, Severus. If you would be willing, we could go to the Dursley's and persuade them to sign over guardianship to yourself, then, in time, if you are amenable of course, we could look at adoption." Albus looked at Severus over his half moon spectacles.

"You want me to become his guardian?" Severus asked, not quite sure of himself.

It was true that he cared for the child, but becoming a guardian was a big step, and he wasn't sure he could be everything Harry needed him to be.

"I can think of no-one more suitable. The child trusts you, he looks up to you. You care for him deeply. Do you disagree?"

"Albus, I'm not sure I'm capable. Harry has been neglected and abused all his life. You are aware of my temper, and I'm not exactly the most…tender of people."

"No you are not, but neither is Harry. You two have much in common I think." Albus chuckled slightly before continuing, "Although it is true that Harry will need some emotional and physical reassurance at times, I do not believe he will be running to you for hugs every day, and if that is the only thing that scares you, it is hardly a good enough reason not to take him, is it not?"

Severus broke eye contact with the much older man and contemplated what he had just said. _Of course Harry wouldn't run to him for hugs, not that that would be a bad thing if he did - wait, where the hell did that come from? Imagining Harry in his arms was not as scary as he thought it would be, and Harry did trust him, which was half the battle won already. Besides, he would be a hundred times better than those blasted muggles! In fact, he had already done more for the boy than they ever had!_

"I will become Harry's guardian." Severus said after a few moments, raising his chin in acceptance.

"Excellent! Now, if you aren't busy, I'd like to get this document signed as soon as possible." Albus said, indicating his head toward the fireplace.

"I think that would be most prudent, Headmaster." Severus said, standing up and striding over to the fireplace, quickly followed by Albus, holding a piece of rolled parchment in his hand.

Severus and Albus approached number 4 Privet Drive after flooing through to Arabella Figg's house. The two men stood side by side as Albus rang the doorbell. Severus heard a man shout for 'Dudley' to get the door, then there were heavy footsteps pounding along behind the door before it finally opened, revealing an extremely overweight child with blond hair and watery blue eyes.

"What do you want?" The ignorant child asked accusingly, looking at the two oddly dressed men in front of him. Severus growled at the whale of a boy who clearly had no manners whatsoever.

"We wish to speak with your parents. Are they home?" Albus asked kindly.

The whale child (as Severus decided he would be called) shouted loudly for his mum and dad before disappearing back into the house without inviting them in. Moments later, a small horse-faced woman came into the doorway and scowled sourly at them.

"What do you want?" She hissed.

Clearly, the whale child took after his mother where manners were concerned.

"Petunia, how nice to see you again. May we come in?" Severus drawled sarcastically.

"Absolutely not! We don't want your sort in our house!" She spat.

"Then we shall just have to conduct our discussion on the doorstep where all your neighbours can see." Albus said, his eyes twinkling.

Petunia harrumphed before opening the door fully and ushering them inside. The woman slammed the door shut forcefully then ushered them into the sitting room, clearly unhappy about it.

"Who is it sweetums?" A huge, pink faced man asked, not looking up from his newspaper as he sat wedged on the sofa. Severus compared the sight to a beached whale…_like father like son._

"Vernon!" Petunia hissed, getting her husband's attention.

"Mr. Dursley, Mrs. Dursley, we have come to discuss your nephew, Harry Potter." Albus began.

"You're from that place aren't you? Freaks! The lot of you! If you can't handle the little brat then that's your fault, not ours!" Vernon screamed, standing up from the sofa with effort.

"Now please, Mr. Dursley. There's no need for name calling. Furthermore, Harry is settling in well at school."

"So why are you here?" Vernon spat.

"He came to school with a great deal of injuries, care to explain?" Severus said venomously.

"The little freak is nothing but a liar! What's he told you huh? I'll give him what for, the lying little-"

"That's enough!" Albus shouted, angry at how the beefy man referred to Harry.

"You'll give him what for?" Severus ground out, gritting his teeth.

"That boy needs a firm hand every now and then. I did what I had to do to keep the boy in line!"

"A firm hand?! You beat the boy almost to death!" Severus shouted, quickly losing his grip on his temper.

"I did no such thing! The little freak deserved every lick he got!"

Severus had had enough, he drew his wand and shoved the point into Vernon's chubby neck.

"How dare you think you're justified in your treatment of Harry!"

"Severus, calm yourself." Albus warned quietly.

"I am calm." Severus ground out slowly, knowing he was lying.

"Put that thing away! Don't you dare threaten my husband! Get out of my house Snape!" Petunia piped up, beginning to get hysterical.

"Severus, lower your wand. This is counter-productive." Albus said calmly.

Severus sneered at the whale of a man, his bright pink face curling into a look of disgust. Slowly, he lowered his wand and placed it back in it's holder up his sleeve.

"How dare you threaten me in my own house, Freak. I'll have you for this! You and that wretched boy!" Vernon bellowed.

Severus snapped, he couldn't hold his temper in anymore. With lightening quick reflexes, he launched himself at the much larger man, throwing his fist forcefully into the man's face, connecting with his nose and hearing a satisfying 'crack'. The large man brought his hands to his face, shielding his now bloody nose.

"Get out! Get out now!" Petunia shrieked, moving over to her husband.

"Severus!" Albus shouted as Severus was about to draw back and inflict another blow. Taking a few deep breaths, Severus stood back and lowered his fists.

"You will not speak another word against Harry. You utter the word 'freak' again and I will hex you into oblivion." Severus spat menacingly, barely containing his anger.

Petunia scowled at him, then ushered her husband into the kitchen and gave him a damp towel for his nose.

"You assaulted my husband!" She said, throwing him another glare.

"I've barely begun!" Severus shouted, erupting again.

"Severus! Control yourself! Remember why we are here." Albus gave him a disapproving look before taking over and ushering Severus to remain quiet.

"You are not fit to be Harry's guardians. You do not want the child, therefore, you will sign these papers, relieving you of guardianship rights over Harry Potter." Albus stated firmly, waving the rolled parchment in front of him.

"And what if we don't agree?" Petunia asked.

"I'm sure Severus would enjoy having the opportunity of…persuading…you." Albus said, emphasising the word 'persuading'.

Petunia scowled at the two men, then looked up to her husband who gave a short nod, still holding the towel to his face.

"Fine, have him. He's been nothing but trouble since the day we took him in anyways." She said, huffing loudly as she stalked over to Albus and took the parchment from him. Albus smiled in victory and produced a quill for her. She took one look at it and scowled again, before storming back into the kitchen to get a pen. Petunia returned a short time later, thrusting the now signed parchment into Albus' waiting hand.

"Thank you for your co-operation, Mrs. Dursley. You and your husband have a nice day." Albus said with a slightly mocking tone, then turned and headed into the hallway and to the front door.

"Those blasted freaks! And that bloody little brat-" Severus heard the hatred in the words being uttered by Vernon Dursley and could not leave it. He turned and pointed his wand at the morbidly obese man whispering the words; "You will feel his pain. The pain you inflicted, both physical and emotional…will be returned to you." A grey mist snaked out from Severus' wand and spread out through the house, wrapping itself around it's two inhabitants for a few moments before dissipating. The room finally cleared as Severus' magic wound itself into the very foundations of the house.

Severus glared at the unremorseful woman for a few moments, then followed the Headmaster out of the house, slamming the door loudly as he went.

"I see what you mean about your temper, Severus." Albus said as they walked back to Arabella Figg's house.

"It is what they deserve!" Severus almost shouted, still seething.

"I know that my boy, but you know you came dangerously close to having the Aurors descend upon us with that spell."

Severus huffed in annoyance, knowing the Headmaster was right, but declined to agree with him verbally. Albus chuckled slightly and shook his head at Severus' annoyed expression.

"How long until the paperwork goes through?" Severus asked, finally beginning to calm himself.

"Hopefully, it will all be approved within two weeks. When are you going to tell the child?"

"I see no reason in delaying."

"Excellent! Let's get back to Hogwarts."

OoOo

Harry sat on the comfy sofa by a crackling fire trying to concentrate on his potions homework but he had had very little success so far, he was still angry at Higgs' comments in the Great Hall earlier. His friends had joined him around the fireplace and were studying quietly as the common room filled up with returning students. The common room was fairly quiet as most students were doing the same thing as Harry and his friends, some of them quietly discussing their homework or having trivial conversations, many of them trying to complete their homework as quickly as possible so they enjoy their free time. That was when Higgs strolled in with three of his friends, sniggering loudly so that everyone could hear.

"I bet Snape told Flint to put him on the team, hoping he'll fall off his broom and kill himself. That way Snape won't have to put up with the whining little brat."

Flint stood from where he had been studying and moved closer to Higgs and his cronies.

"You'd better watch your mouth Higgs you little prick. Harry earned his spot on the team. He was better than you, deal with it!" Flint stood stock still, willing Higgs to argue with him.

By this time, no-one was studying anymore. All eyes were trained on the confrontation playing out in the middle of the room. Higgs shrugged in acquiescence and Flint started walking back over to his chair, he did not see Higgs move closer to Harry.

"Even got Flint backing you up now Potter? Can't fight your own battles eh? I guess not, you can't even stand up to some pathetic muggles, call yourself a wizard? You're a disgrace Potter! No wonder your mother got herself killed, she probably couldn't live with the thought of having such a pathetic, worthless little freak as a son!"

Harry snapped. He let out an anguished shout as he used the sofa as a springboard to launch himself at the bully. Harry barrelled into the taller boy, knocking them both to the floor. He quickly rolled and managed to get on top of the startled boy before proceeding to launch his fists at the boy's face without a further thought. The anger that had been building inside him was set free, Harry knew nothing of his surroundings as he put all his emotions into this one act, feeling the release of adrenalin through his system. He had punched the boy maybe five times when strong arms grabbed at his, temporarily stopping him. Harry was nowhere near finished yet, he was still seething.

"Harry, stop, please!"

"Lemmie go!" Harry struggled against his bonds and felt victorious when he was released. He managed to get another two punches in before he was hoisted off his feet and held in a bear-like grip against someone's chest.

"Lemmie go!" Harry shouted again, struggling against his captor.

"Not a chance young man." The words were spoken calmly, but the tone was menacing.

Harry slowly began to come to his senses, and realized that he was being held against someone much taller than him, his legs were dangling in mid-air and the whole common room were staring at him in shock. He looked down and saw Higgs now in a sitting position on the floor with a bloody nose and a rapidly swelling left eye. Nobody had motioned to help him though and Harry also then realized just how quiet it was, he could hear a pin drop. He was set on his feet carefully and he turned to the man who had restrained him. Professor Snape was staring down at him with a murderous look.

"My office, young man. Now." Snape growled.

Harry did not even consider disobeying, he fled to Snape's office. His anger had all but disappeared and he could now feel his face burning, his vision was slightly blurred and he rubbed his eyes with his hands, feeling moisture there. That was when he realized he had been crying, probably whilst he had been punching Higgs. Then the seriousness of the situation hit him and then he really did feel like crying.

_He had ruined everything! He was going to be expelled! Snape would hate him now! Why can't you just control yourself Harry! Higgs' words had really hurt though, they had struck a nerve, not only about his mother but about Snape too. Was he too much trouble? Did everyone want him gone? Well if they hadn't before they definitely would now._

Harry slumped down against the cold stone wall of Snape's office and pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his skinny legs he lowered his head to rest on his knees and sobbed heart wrenching sobs of a boy who believed he had lost everything that mattered in life.

_Next Chapter - The Aftermath_


	11. Chapter 11 - The Aftermath

**A/N: **_Thank you everyone for the reviews, they really do mean so much! I'm already well into chapter 12 and should have it out by next week. Enjoy!_

Chapter 11 - The Aftermath

"Professor please! It wasn't Harry's fault! Higgs was being really nasty to him, and he threatened him!" Teddy implored his Head of House who stood stoically as Harry fled the room.

"Enough! Mr. Nott you will hold your tongue!" Severus shouted at the hysterical boy.

"Mr. Higgs, can you stand?" He turned his attention on the bloody boy at his feet.

"Yessir." Higgs mumbled through his hands that were holding his bleeding nose.

"Mr. Crabbe, Goyle. Escort Mr. Higgs to the Infirmary." He motioned for the two nearest boys to accompany the now teary teenager as he made his way sheepishly from the room.

"Mr. Flint?" He raised an eyebrow at his most diligent Prefect, who had been attempting to remove Potter from Higgs when he had walked in.

They moved over to an empty corner of the common room as Severus glared at the rest of his snakes, they took the hint and returned to their work, although Severus knew they would be straining to listen to the conversation about to take place.

"Higgs wasn't happy that I'd picked Harry over him Sir. He came into the common room and said that you'd put him on the team hoping he'd fall off his broom and kill himself. I told Higgs that Harry deserved his place on the team and that he should stop being jealous. Higgs seemed to take the hint and I went to sit back down, then Higgs turned on Harry and said something about him not being able to stand up to muggles and his mother not wanting him and him being pathetic. To be honest Sir, if Harry hadn't hit him I would have. He was really nasty and it was such a cruel thing to say…" Flint trailed off, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

Severus could see the young man was angry and upset and so Severus gave him a few moments to compose himself, taking the opportunity to cast his eyes around the common room. Sure enough, everyone had been watching them intently but lowered their eyes as soon as they saw Severus looking over at them. He noticed Mr. Nott and Malfoy were hovering nervously, casting worried glances towards his office door.

"Sir, please go easy on Harry," Flint pleaded quietly.

Severus sighed and looked down at his Prefect who looked a little fearful.

"What was this about Higgs threatening him?" Severus recalled what Nott had said during his outburst earlier.

"Erm, I'm not sure Sir, maybe that happened before. I know Higgs said something at dinner, but I wasn't sitting near enough to hear. Whatever it was it put Harry off his food."

"Alright Mr. Flint, you may go." Flint nodded gratefully and shuffled away, Severus caught Nott and Malfoy's eye and beckoned them over with his finger.

The two small boys shuffled over nervously, gulping unconsciously.

"Mr. Nott, you said earlier that Higgs threatened Harry. When was this and what was said?"

Severus crossed his arms over his chest, willing his own temper to stay in check.

"Well, Harry came to dinner looking a bit upset after the trials which seemed weird 'cos you know, he was amazing out there and really loves flying-"

"Mr. Nott, stop rambling."

"Oh, yeah, sorry Sir. Anyway, he said that Higgs had told him he'd regret ever mounting a broom when they were in the changing rooms and then while we were at the table Higgs said stuff about him being a wimp and his relatives hating him and Harry was really angry but he left it and came back to the common room…" Nott trailed off, looking at his friend for reassurance.

"Higgs deserved what he got Sir, and more." Draco stated firmly, raising his chin to his Professor with fire in his eyes. Severus then realised just how protective some of his snakes were becoming of Harry.

"Thank you boys, you may go." Severus said tiredly, raising his hand to rub at his forehead, he had a thundering headache coming.

"Sir, what are you going to do to Harry?" Draco asked, much more timidly.

"That is none of your business Mr. Malfoy."

"But Sir-"

Malfoy closed his mouth abruptly at Severus' seething glare.

"Sorry Sir."

"Go." He uttered, waving his arm in a gesture of dismissal.

Severus wasn't sure whether he should check on Mr. Higgs in the Infirmary or deal with Harry first. The decision was made for him a few moments later as Mr. Higgs re-entered the common room, shuffling his feet nervously and avoiding eye contact.

"Mr. Higgs."

The boy looked up startled, then slumped his shoulders and moved over to him with his head bowed.

"What did Madam Pomfrey say?" He had to make sure the boy was alright first of all.

"I've got a broken nose Sir, she fixed it and said the bruise on my eye will go down on it's own."

Severus stared down at the boy and waited for him to raise his head. When the boy finally did Severus pierced him with angry glare and began in a menacingly low voice.

"I have heard some very disturbing reports from your housemates, Mr. Higgs. Just what was your reason for your despicable behaviour towards Mr. Potter?"

"I was my spot Sir, he get's everything!" The boy whined.

"That is your justification?" Severus asked incredulously.

"Well, he does! He took my spot on the team and Flint always sticks up for him and he's such an attention seeking-"

"Enough!" Severus could not believe the audacity of the spoilt little brat in front of him.

"Your weekend privileges are revoked Mr. Higgs. You will report to my office at 9am Saturday morning where we will continue this discussion. I suggest that you think about your actions and cease this incessant whining immediately. Your housemates are not very happy with you at the moment Mr. Higgs, maybe you should bear that mind before you anger them further."

"My Father-"

"Do not _push me_, Mr. Higgs. Do not for one second, think that you can threaten _me!_ Two weeks detention will be added to your punishment. Think _very_ carefully before you open your mouth again Mr. Higgs." Severus glowered down at the spoiled brat, daring him to speak again.

"Get out of my sight." Severus spat after a few moments of silence from the child.

_The nerve of the brat! How dare he threaten him! _

Severus was dangerously close to erupting and so stepped out of the common room and into the corridor for a few moments, relishing the cool air and slight breeze. He rested his forehead against the cool stone wall breathed deep breaths to calm himself. He still had a very upset Harry to deal with. _Would Harry still be angry? Would there be anything left of his office? Oh, merlin help me._ Severus straightened and strode back through the common room and to his office door, dreading what he would find behind it.

OoOo

Harry was beyond distraught, his mind whirled with the thought of being expelled and sent back to the Dursleys, never being allowed to do magic again, never feeling the freedom of flying again, never having someone be nice to him, or have any friends, he would have to give back his new clothes and he would probably not live to see his next birthday once the Dursley's realised they would have to keep him because he had been kicked out because of fighting. He couldn't take it, not now he had had a taste of what life could be like, he couldn't go back there, he would do absolutely anything Snape wanted, _anything._

He heard the door creak open and realised Snape had come to deal with him. He looked up with tears still falling from his now bloodshot and itchy eyes. His vision was slightly blurred but there was no mistaking the figure in black stood before him.

"M'sorry Sir, m'sorry!" Harry began whimpering, unable to control himself, he began sobbing again in earnest. He attempted to stand but his legs wouldn't work so he contented himself with kneeling, the rough cold stone on his knees did not register in his mind.

"Please don't expel me sir, please! I'll do anything! Anything!" Harry was begging by now, he didn't care how pitiful he looked.

"Harry calm down. You're not getting expelled." Snape's smooth voice cut through his consciousness but it took a few moments for his distraught mind to register the meaning of the words.

"I'm not?" He asked, sniffling loudly as tears continued to fall.

"No Harry. You are in a lot of trouble, but you won't be expelled."

Harry began crying again, but this time in relief. He saw the imposing form of his Professor move in front of him and crouch down. Without a further thought, Harry launched his tiny frame at Snape and clamped his arms around the mans neck, burying his face in the soft black robes.

After a few stunned moments, he felt strong arms move around his torso and he was pulled closer to his Professor's body. He had never felt this before, he didn't know what this feeling was exactly, but it was the most amazing thing in the world. Warmth, safety, comfort - like the rest of the world didn't exist - or like he was protected from everything. Right now, nothing and no-one could hurt him.

"Breathe child, take slow deep breaths." He heard Snape say, he tried but his breath kept hitching.

"Breath in time with me, feel my chest rise and fall." Snape had managed to untangle Harry's hands from their death grip around his neck and brought one to rest over his heart. Harry could feel the man's heartbeat and suddenly became mesmerised, everything fell away and all Harry could see, hear and feel was the heartbeat beneath the smooth black material. After a few minutes his breathing evened out and his eyes closed gently as a feeling of complete peace washed over him.

OoOo

To say he had been surprised was the biggest understatement of the century. The last thing he expected to see on entering his office was Harry looking so broken and distraught, and all remnants of anger had fled instantly. But for the child to barrel into him and embrace him (almost knocking him off his feet as he did so) was what had shocked him into stillness. After the initial shock, Severus had returned the embrace and found that he was not averse to the feeling.

Harry had finally calmed down after five minutes of breathing in time with him and although Severus was loathe to move the boy, his legs were beginning to cramp.

"Harry," the boy did not respond. He called him a further two times but the child still did not respond, so Severus closed his arms around the tiny boy and lifted him easily from the floor. Sitting the eleven year old comfortably on his hip, he walked steadily across his office and through the connecting door to his private quarters. He lowered Harry down gently onto his sofa and carefully extricated himself from Harry's death grip. He stood back up and looked down at the prone sleeping form before him; Harry's face was pink and blotchy and his hair was matted to his forehead. Severus removed the boy's glasses and placed them on his solid oak coffee table, then grabbed a thick green blanket and covered Harry, taking his shoes off and tucking the edges of the blanket around him to prevent a draft. He looked at the boy quizzically for a moment, then realised what was missing; he grabbed a cushion and lifted Harry's head carefully before placing the cushion underneath and gently lowering the child's head back down. Harry breathed a sigh of contentment and snuggled up beneath the blanket. Severus stood staring at the picture before him with a small smile on his face, content just to watch the boy. After a few minutes, Severus realised what he was doing and stepped away, shaking his head at his own sentimentality. He had a lot of upset snakes not too far away, and he needed to make sure Higgs had not been strung up by them. He crossed his living room and gave one last fleeting glance towards the sofa before going back into his office and out to his snakes' common room.

There was quite a lot of noise in the common room when he entered, but the room hushed quickly once they became aware of his presence. He cast his gaze around the room steadily, meeting his students eyes and mentally counting how many were there. Apart from Harry and Mr. Higgs, all his students were there, watching him wearily, obviously unsure of his mood and concerned for Harry.

He saw all the students slowly turn their attention to Mr. Flint after they realised that Severus was not going to address them. Mr. Flint stood slowly, looking around slightly nervously; Severus came to the conclusion that he had been nominated as their spokesperson. He kept his expression neutral as Flint approached him and waited until his prefect stood in front of him then he began first.

"I see Mr. Higgs is absent front the common room this evening."

"He's in his room Sir. Thinking over what he did wrong." Flint replied, obviously still angry.

"And he has not met any further injury?"

"No Sir, he has not."

"Very well Mr. Flint." Severus nodded slowly once, conveying his trust in his prefect.

"Sir, about Harry. Is he ok?" Flint asked nervously after a few moments.

Severus quickly glanced around and confirmed to himself that indeed, everyone was watching with baited breath and once again he nodded to his prefect, before clearing his throat and addressing the common room as a whole.

"I am aware that many of you are concerned about Mr. Potter. Let me assure you all now that he is quite well, he is currently resting and will be rejoining you all tomorrow. I am aware that there has been a lot of unrest in this house since the beginning of term, I want you all to make a concerted effort to get along with your peers. Remember our most important rule, and if I hear of any further instances of bullying in this house, the perpetrator will be dealt with…severely. Now, I would like you all to get an early night tonight, as I'm sure the excitement of today has been quite a strain on many of you. I will be available for another half hour if anyone wishes to speak to me, but after that I would like you to start making your way to your dorms."

Severus seated himself in a comfortable armchair in a corner away from the throngs of people that would allow an amount of privacy if anyone wanted to speak to him, as he did often during the evenings as part of his welfare duties as Head of House. He knew he needed to do this, but he was anxious to leave Harry alone in his quarters in case the child awoke and panicked. Two students had approached him during the half hour and after giving them the appropriate reassurances and guidance, he gave a nod to his prefects and left the common room quietly.

The child hadn't moved. Severus decided to leave a note on the coffee table beside the boy's glasses so that if he did awake during the night he would be less inclined to panic.

_Harry,_

_You fell asleep in the classroom earlier this evening and so I brought you to my quarters. If you need the bathroom, it is the door on the left through the hall. My room is the door on the right, if you need me urgently knock and wait. Try to get as much rest as possible, we will talk in the morning. You will not be expelled._

_Professor Snape._

Severus knew Harry would need a reassurance about being expelled after seeing how distraught he had been earlier. He would have to think carefully about how to deal with him. He couldn't let it go completely, even if he did sympathize with the boy. Maybe Albus would have some advice. Severus cast a monitoring charm on the boy to alert him if he awoke then stepped over to the fireplace and fire-called Albus.

"Can I speak with you Headmaster?"

"Yes of course my dear boy, come through."

Severus stepped through the floo to the Headmaster's office and took a seat without being prompted. He declined the offer of sweets but took up the offer of tea. With tea in hand, he leant back in his chair to sit more comfortably before addressing the ever-patient Headmaster.

"There has been an incident tonight involving Harry Potter. It appears that a second year boy was jealous of Harry's flying ability and decided to harass him. It came to a head in the common room tonight and Harry lost his temper, he broke the boy's nose."

At that, Albus spurted his tea all over his desk, then, at seeing Severus' surprised expression, began laughing uncontrollably.

"What is so funny Albus?" Severus said, annoyed.

It took Albus a few moments to get a hold of himself before answering.

"Sorry Severus, I just find it ironic that you both lose your temper in the same day, and inflict the same injuries on your tormentors."

"This is not funny Albus!"

"No, no of course not." Albus schooled his knowing grin and took another sip of tea.

"Harry was very upset over the incident, I don't know how to deal with him." Severus admitted with a sigh.

"What did this boy say to Harry to get him to lose his temper so violently?"

"He said that Harry was weak and that nobody wanted him, that Lily…that she would not want him as a son."

"Anything else?"

"Isn't that enough?" Severus spat angrily.

Albus lowered his head slightly and looked over his half-moon spectacles at him, eyes twinkling.

"There was also mention of me wanting Harry to be on the team so that he would fall off his broom. They are aware of his abominable treatment by his relatives and although some of them are becoming rather protective of him, one or two appear to be jealous and have resorted to calling him out on his insecurities."

"I have no doubt that you will deal with them promptly, Severus. As for Harry, fighting cannot go unpunished…however, maybe it would be good for the both of you to practice some relaxation and mind clearing techniques. You will also need to get him to open up to you about his abuse - this is most likely the cause of his anger and frustration. He has had to bottle up his emotions for far too long, and he can no longer contain them. He needs to talk about things and get it off his chest. He will also need some sort of outlet, some activity that allows him to express himself without repercussions."

Severus nodded as he contemplated the Headmaster's words. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Severus thanked his mentor and took his leave.

OoOo

His dream had started off well; _he was on his broom, flying as fast as it would take him chasing after the snitch during a real Quidditch game, then Higgs had come up and barged him so violently, he had fallen off his broom and he was falling, faster and faster, his Aunt and Uncle were in the crowd, cheering and shaking their fists at him as he fell further and further. Snape was there too, smiling wickedly as he watched Harry hurtling towards his death-_

Harry sat up with a start, gasping for breath. His heart was pounding in his chest and he felt wet and sticky. It took him a few moments to realize that he was neither in his dorm room nor his cupboard at Privet Drive. _Where the hell was he?_ He reached out blindly for his glasses and located them quickly, pushing them onto his face he allowed his eyes to adjust before staring around wildly. It was pretty dark but there was an orb on a bookshelf at the other end of the room which gave off a warm yellow light. That was when he saw a small piece of parchment with his name on it on the table beside him. He reached out for it tentatively and squinted in the dim light as he read the note from his Professor. He read it twice. _Snape had put him to bed, in his private quarters! He must have taken off his shoes and put the blanket over him - oh god! - He had hugged Snape! Hugged his Professor! _Harry groaned audibly and flopped back down on to the sofa, _how embarrassing!_ Harry laid still for a few minutes, the events of the evening playing over in his mind. Then, resigning himself to his fate - _which couldn't be that bad seeing as he wasn't getting expelled _- he took off his glasses and placed them back on the table, before pulling the soft warm blanket up over his shoulders and closing his eyes, hoping that sleep would claim him once more.

Harry couldn't wait any longer, he needed to pee real bad. He gingerly shook off his blanket and scurried into the bathroom as quietly as he could. After doing his business he re-emerged to find his Professor standing in the hallway looking down at him with his arms crossed. Harry couldn't see his face properly in the dim light so he couldn't tell if the man was angry or not.

"Good morning Harry. Did you sleep well?"

Reassured by his Professor's tone, Harry looked up and smiled sheepishly before replying.

"Good morning Sir."

"Go wait on the sofa for me, I'll be through in a minute." Snape moved to let Harry past him and Harry did so, noticing his Professor go into the bathroom as he made his way back to the living area. Harry went over to the sofa and folded the blanket up neatly, then put his shoes back on and stood waiting beside the sofa, hoping his Professor would be pleased with his tidiness. He was nervous but determined to stay calm and accept whatever punishment Snape would give him. After what seemed like an age, Snape came through to the living area, illuminated the room and took a seat in the armchair adjacent to the sofa, then indicated for Harry to sit down. He did so gingerly, sitting on the edge of the sofa so as not to appear too comfortable - because he wasn't.

"There are a couple of things I need to speak to you about Harry so you may as well get a little more comfortable." Snape said evenly.

Harry gulped and shuffled back into the sofa, leaning against the backrest so that his feet only just came over the edge of the sofa, emphasizing just how small he was.

"Tea?"

"Huh?" Harry uttered, surprised.

Snape looked at him pointedly and Harry realized his mistake.

"Sorry Sir, yes, tea would be good, thanks." He said, folding his hands in his lap.

Snape summoned a house elf and asked for tea for the two of them and waited quietly for the elf to reappear with the drinks and poured for them both before speaking again.

"I understand that Mr. Higgs threatened you yesterday, and that he was taunting you about your relatives treatment of you. I also gather he said something about your mother not wanting you." Snape looked at him and he nodded, not quite trusting his voice at the moment.

"Harry, you do understand that what he said was untrue." Snape looked at him with his brows furrowed.

_Yes, he understood that, sort of._

"Harry, your mother loved you very much, so much that she sacrificed her life for you, as did your father. You are not weak Harry, you need to understand that. Nobody believes you are."

"Higgs does." Harry mumbled.

"Higgs was just saying that because he was jealous of you."

"Me?" Harry blurted out incredulously.

"You beat him to the seeker's spot did you not?"

"Well, yeah. But I'd rather have a family that loves me than be able to fly well." Harry replied without thinking, then studied his hands as he felt his ears burning.

"I know that Harry, and I'm sure that if everyone was given that choice, they would choose the same. It may comfort you to know that many of your housemates took your side over the confrontation last night."

Harry looked up at Snape who was taking a sip of his tea, studying his face intently for signs that he was lying. He found none, but then again, he imagined Snape could be a really good liar.

"I understand your actions last night Harry, but I cannot condone them. Therefore, you will have a week's detention with me, where we will work on some relaxation techniques." Snape said all this very calmly and sincerely.

"Relaxation techniques, Sir?" _There was no way he was going to sit in a classroom doing Yoga or something with his Professor!_

"Yes Harry. But we also need to start discussing your relatives; how they treated you, and how they made you feel." Harry started shaking his head at the statement, but stopped when Snape spoke again.

"Harry, I believe that most of what you are feeling is a result of bottling up all your anger, hurt and frustration over your previous treatment. Talking about these things can help, and I'm going to need you to trust me on this." Snape's voice was smooth and silky, and trusting.

Harry took a few deep breaths; _well, he did promise he would do anything. But this, this would be so hard, could he even do it?_

"I'll try Sir." Harry said quietly after a few moments.

"Good. Right, there is something else that I need to speak to you about. The Headmaster and I went to see your relatives yesterday-"

"What? No! You shouldn't have done that!" Harry shouted, suddenly panicking.

"Harry! Calm down!"

Harry turned bright red, his face burned, partly from embarrassment at shouting at his Professor, and partly because he was getting angry again. Snape waited until Harry got himself under control before he began again.

"As I was saying…we spoke to your relatives and they agreed to relinquish their guardianship of you." Harry's head shot up, his mouth agape. Before he could ask any questions Snape continued;

"I have agreed to become your guardian for the time being. If you do not want me to be your guardian, we will look at alternatives for you. But rest assured, you will never have to return to those despicable people ever again."

Harry stared at the man across from him, trying to digest what he had just said.

"I never have to go back…" Harry said slowly, still unsure.

"Never."

"You're my guardian?"

"Yes."

"So, you can hit me now?" Harry asked, fearfully.

"Harry, look at me child." Harry raised his eyes slowly and saw that his Professor - his guardian - sat forward in his seat and put down his teacup.

"I will never, never, hit you. Ever." Snape stared at him, willing him to believe his words.

"But-"

"Never Harry. I swear it."

Harry sat staring at Snape, who stared right back. Their eyes were locked with each other, silence filled the room and finally, they seemed to come to an understanding. Harry nodded and smiled at the man before him, who in turn gave a short nod and stood up slowly.

_He would never go back! Ever! And Snape promised he would never hit him, which, the man had never lied to him before and he seemed sincere and for maybe the first time ever, he believed the adult before him, trusted him to keep his word. If Snape hadn't hit him over this, then why would he hit him because of anything else he did? _

"Do you have any other burning questions?" Snape asked, pulling Harry from his thoughts.

"Erm, I don't think so Sir."

"Alright, well, it's time for breakfast. We can discuss this further at a later time. Come, your friends are most likely waiting for you." Snape beckoned for him to follow, and Harry did, with a new spring in his step.

_Next Chapter - Another new talent_


	12. Chapter 12 - Another new Talent

_**A/N:** Hope you all enjoy this installment, thanks for all the reviews!_

Chapter 12 - Another new talent

Snape had been right; his friends were waiting for him in the common room. As soon as they saw him they jumped up from their seats on the sofa and barrelled over to him, grabbing him in a rough hug.

"Harry! You're alive!"

"Course I'm alive!" Harry laughed as Teddy and Draco released him.

"Time for breakfast boys." Snape's silky voice said from behind them.

"Yes Sir, come on Harry!" Draco cried happily, leading the small group out of the common room.

Harry sat down to breakfast with his two friends and noticed that prefect Flint and a couple of his friends sat down opposite him. Flint gave him a small smile of reassurance which Harry returned before tucking in to his food with enthusiasm.

"Come on then Harry, don't keep us in suspense. What did Snape say?" Flint asked after a few minutes.

"Oh, I've got detention for a week, got to work on some relaxation stuff or something." Harry said with a shrug, feeling warm inside at having a new guardian. He looked up then, wondering if it would be alright to tell everyone about Snape's new role in his life. Teddy seemed to notice his hesitation.

"What is it Harry? You can tell us you know." Teddy asked.

"Erm, well…" Harry looked up to the teacher's table, berating himself for not asking Snape earlier if he could tell his friends. He caught Snape's eye and gave him a questioning look, wondering if the man would understand his unspoken question. Snape stared right at Harry, and Harry felt like the man was looking right into his soul, then Snape gave him a small nod before breaking eye contact and continuing with his meal.

"Come on Harry, you seem much too happy about getting detention, what else happened?" Flint asked.

"Well… Snape... he, he's my new guardian." Harry said, blushing a little.

Everyone around him stopped what they were doing - some mid chew, some with their forks halfway to their mouths - and looked at him like he'd grown a new head. Flint gulped, looked up to the teachers table, then back at Harry.

"Seriously?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Harry said sheepishly.

"Wow Harry, that's huge!" Teddy shrieked enthusiastically.

"Are you happy about it?" Flint asked.

"Well, yeah, I mean… I don't have to go back to my relatives now." Harry replied.

"Nice one Harry." Teddy said, giving him a playful shove with his shoulder.

"Yeah Harry, congratulations mate." Draco smiled.

Feeling relieved, Harry began eating again and everyone else followed suit.

That evening in the common room Harry found the atmosphere much more comforting, and a couple of first year girls joined Harry, Teddy and Draco to study. Harry noticed that Higgs was nowhere to be seen, but every time he caught eye contact with one of the other students, they gave him a quick friendly smile before returning either to their studies or their conversation with their friends. Harry let out a contented sigh, revelling in the feeling of acceptance. He felt safe, relaxed and deeply happy, everything in his life was finally going right. Even Zabini seemed to have lost his hostility, asking if he could study with them. Draco had given him a warning glare before moving over slightly to allow the boy to sit with them. Zabini smiled then put a colourful box on the table in front of them.

"Help yourselves." Zabini said, giving Harry a shy smile.

Harry looked at the box quizzically, tilting his head to read the writing on the side. _Bertie Bots every flavour beans._ Teddy and Draco thanked Zabini before reaching in and retrieving a small coloured sweet and popping them into their mouths.

"Hmm, pineapple, not bad." Teddy remarked absently.

"Don't you want one Harry?" Zabini asked, clearly wanting to make peace.

"Oh, sure, ok." Harry said, reaching into the box.

"Hope you get a good one." Zabini remarked, watching Harry warily.

Harry popped the sweet into his mouth and sucked on it carefully.

"Taste's like, like… bacon?" Harry remarked, thinking it was a strange flavour for a sweet.

"Yep, when they say 'every flavour' they mean every flavour. I got a sprout flavoured one once, urgh!" Draco explained, screwing his face up at the memory.

The boys - and girls - studied and chatted happily for an hour and were beginning to pack up their things when the door to the common room opened and Higgs walked in sullenly. Everyone seemed to look up from what they were doing and follow him with their eyes as he trudged across the common room and into the dorm room corridor.

"Don't worry about him Harry, we've all got your back." Flint said as he passed their group.

Harry nodded up at the prefect then turned and saw Professor Snape enter the room, searching with his eyes for someone. The Professor spotted Harry and beckoned him over with his index finger. Harry gathered up his book bag and said goodbye to his friends before scurrying over to his new guardian. Snape opened the door to his office and waited for Harry to walk through before following him through.

"Have a seat Harry." Snape motioned for him to sit down on the high backed chair in front of Snape's desk. Harry did so as Snape took his seat behind the desk.

"How has your day been? Any further trouble?" Snape asked.

"No Sir, no trouble. Everyone's been really nice."

"I'm glad to hear it. I take it you told your friends about my becoming your guardian?"

"Yes Sir. Is that ok?" Harry asked, hoping he had not upset his new guardian already.

"Yes Harry, it's fine. They would find out sooner or later anyhow."

Harry let out a relieved breath, then gave the man a small smile.

"Now, I think it's best if I explain to you what I expect from you as your new guardian." Snape gave him a pointed look and Harry gulped then nodded, hoping he would be able to remember everything.

"First of all, I expect you to try your best in all your subjects, in class and completing homework assignments." Snape paused, waiting for Harry's response before continuing.

"My best?" Harry asked, _he had never been allowed to do his best, or be better than Dudley at anything._

"Yes Harry, your very best. I expect you to study hard, complete all your work on time and concentrate during all your classes. If you know the answer to a question, I expect you to give it. Understood?"

Harry's brows were furrowed as he contemplated this new instruction, after a few moments he nodded his head in understanding.

"Right, I also expect you to treat all your teachers with respect and to obey them at all times."

Again, Harry nodded.

"I also want you to come to me if you have any problems - either with your classes, or with any of the students. I want you always to be honest with me Harry. Never lie to me."

"Okay Sir." Harry didn't think he'd be going to Snape with all his problems, he didn't need to, he'd always sorted out his problems himself.

"Good, now, do you have any questions for me?" Snape asked, leaning back in his chair.

Harry thought for a few moments, he had been too busy being happy all day to think about how this new relationship would work.

"How will I be punished Sir?" Harry asked meekly, remembering Snape's promise about not hitting him.

"Well, I guess that depends on the seriousness of the offence. I may confine you to your room, or give you an essay to write explaining what you did wrong and how you could have handled the situation better, for more serious offences I may ban you from flying for a week. Does that sound fair?"

"Yes Sir." Harry replied honestly.

"Anything else?" Snape asked.

"Erm, I don't think so Sir."

"Well, if you think of anything later then come and ask me, alright?"

"Yes Sir, thank you."

Snape nodded then stood up and grabbed a piece of parchment, quill and inkpot then placed them in front of Harry.

"Now, I'm going to show you how to write properly, we need to improve your penmanship."

Harry spent another hour with Snape, practising his handwriting and trying to follow his Professor's instructions. By the end of the hour Harry's hand was aching badly but he noted that his handwriting did look a lot neater. He looked up at his guardian with a proud smile.

"Very good. I want you to practice these exercises every night for the next week. That's all for tonight, make sure your room is ready for inspection tomorrow. I'm going to allow you the weekend to yourself, then we begin your detentions on Monday evening at 7pm."

"Yes Sir." Harry replied happily, thinking of what he would do at the weekend.

"Alright, dismissed." Snape said, putting the quill and ink away in a drawer of his desk.

OoOo

Saturday morning came around quickly and with Teddy spending time with his owl and Draco catching up on his homework with a couple of the other first years (Harry had already completed his), Harry decided to visit Hagrid. He skipped happily down the hill and found Hagrid sitting on a stool outside his hut.

"Hiya 'Arry! How's things?" Hagrid beamed.

"Hiya Hagrid! I'm great thanks!" Harry replied happily.

As Harry reached the friendly half-giant he saw that the man had a strange looking knife in one hand and a chunk of wood in the other.

"What're you doing Hagrid?" Harry asked, pointing to the wood.

"Oh, just a little hobby of mine, not very good at it though." Hagrid answered, looking down at his hands wistfully.

"Been trying to carve an owl but it keeps going wrong." Hagrid said seemingly deep in thought.

After a few moments the man seemed to collect himself and looked over to Harry with a big smile.

"So, come on then, tell me all about your week."

Harry smiled and launched into explaining about flying and making the Quidditch team and Snape becoming his guardian, slightly glossing over the incident with Higgs. Hagrid sat and listened intently, noticing the boy could barely sit still during his animated explanations. After half an hour, Hagrid asked if Harry wanted to have a go at woodcarving after he noticed Harry's eyes continually wondering to Hagrid's hands. Harry thought it looked really cool and jumped at the chance to have a go.

Hagrid brought out half a dozen different tools and explained what each one was used for, showing Harry how to hold them properly and warning him about not getting his fingers in the way of 'the sharp end' before giving him a small block of wood about 20cm high, wide and deep, then watched him closely as Harry began chipping away at the wood. In a matter of minutes, Harry was lost in his own little world, his tongue sticking out in concentration as he carved out the main shape of an owl perched on a branch. Harry got so caught up in his work that Hagrid had to remind him of the time when it came to lunch. Harry smiled sheepishly at the half-giant before setting down the gouge tool and wood and asking if he could come back down after lunch. Hagrid nodded and smiled before waving the boy off as he made his way excitedly back up the hill to the castle.

In the Great Hall Harry met up with his friends again and sat down to lunch with a smile. He hadn't felt this relaxed in, well, he didn't think he'd ever felt this relaxed before in his life.

"What have you been up to Harry?" Draco asked, noticing how content his friend looked.

"I went to see Hagrid, he was doing this woodcarving thing and he let me have a go." harry said with a smile.

"Woodcarving? What were you carving?" Teddy asked, intrigued.

"Well, Hagrid was trying to carve an owl and said that's what most people try first 'cos it's a simple enough shape, so that's what I was carving. He says I can go back after lunch and finish it. He showed me all the different tools and stuff as well." Harry explained enthusiastically.

Whilst the boys were eating the mail arrived, dozens of owls swooped down into the great hall, depositing parcels and letters for various people. Both Teddy and Draco received packages from their parents full of various kinds of sweets. Harry didn't receive anything but he hadn't expected to, he didn't mind in the least though, all he wanted to do was eat quickly and go back down to Hagrid's hut to continue his carving.

OoOo

Severus strode into 'Quality Quidditch Supplies' and walked straight up to the counter. A middle-aged witch greeted him with a smile before asking how she could help him.

"I need a Nimbus 2000." Severus said.

"When for?" The kindly witch asked.

"Now would be good."

"Oh dear, you haven't heard?"

"Heard what?" Severus said, becoming agitated.

"The Nimbus 2000 models have been recalled, there was a major fault with them, kept banking to the left at speed. I'm afraid we won't get any in for at least a month."

Severus gave an exasperated sigh before agreeing to placing one on order and leaving the shop in a huff. Slytherin had a game against Gryffindor at the start of November and there was no guarantee the broom would arrive in time. There was no way Harry was going to continue flying a school broom, especially not in a proper game. With his mind made up, Severus headed back to the school determined to find his own broom - a Cleansweep 6, it wasn't the best broom in the world but it was a damn sight better than those decrepit old things Harry had been flying on so far.

After 10 minutes of searching, Severus found his Cleansweep 6 and decided he would give it to Harry straight away, give the child as much time as possible to practice with it. He strode into the common room and looked around for the raven-haired boy, he spotted his godson and Mr. Nott but Harry was nowhere to be seen.

"Mr. Nott, do you perhaps know the whereabouts of Mr. Potter?" Severus asked.

"Yes Sir, he's down at Hagrid's."

"You boys haven't fallen out have you?" Severus asked, as this was the first time he had seen them apart.

"No Sir! We just had different stuff to do this morning and Harry wanted to go see Hagrid, we saw him at lunch and he said he was going back down so we decided to have a game of chess." Draco answered, indicating to the chessboard in front of them.

"Very well, enjoy your game boys." Snape said before turning and heading off for Hagrid's hut. He wondered what in the world the boy could be doing that would have him spending the whole day with the half-giant.

Severus walked down the hill to Hagrid's hut and saw Harry sat outside by himself and wondered why he would be alone instead of returning to his friends. As he drew closer he saw the boy concentrating heavily on something in his hands with his tongue stuck out to the side of his mouth and began to speed up when he noticed a knife in his hand.

"What on earth are you doing Harry?!" He shouted as he strode up to the boy. Harry startled and looked up fearfully, then smiled happily at him.

"Woodcarving Sir, Hagrid taught me!" He said happily, holding out a small wooden owl for him. Severus was about to reprimand the boy for using sharp knives but stopped when he saw the intricately carved ornament. He reached out and took it from Harry, examining it with a look of wonderment on his face. The carving was well shaped and detailed expertly.

"You did this?" He asked, not quite believing an 11 year old could achieve such craftsmanship.

"Yes Sir," Harry replied, smiling proudly.

"This is... this is very good Harry. Have you been doing this all day?"

"Yep, Hagrid let me use his tools and showed me how to use 'em 'n stuff. D'you like it?"

"Yes Harry, I like it very much. You have quite a talent here." Severus said, handing the owl back to a beaming Harry.

"Thank you Sir!"

Severus couldn't resist a small smile at seeing how happy the child was, then remembered that Hagrid was nowhere to be seen.

"Harry, where is Hagrid?"

"Oh, he had to go see to the... erm... some creatures, I forget which ones he said. He said he wouldn't be long though."

"I see."

Severus watched as Harry's eyes were suddenly drawn to the broom in his left hand.

"Are you going flying Sir?" He asked innocently.

"No Harry I'm not. This, is for you. It's a Cleansweep 6, I thought it would be beneficial for you to have a half decent broom." Severus held out the broom for Harry to take, but the boy just looked at him, frowning.

"For me?" He asked incredulously.

"I just said that did I not?"

"Yeah but, I mean... I can't accept it Sir."

"Why on earth not?"

"Because Sir, I don't deserve it. They're really expensive and-"

"Oh for Merlin's sake Harry!" Severus snapped. He took a deep breath and knelt in front of the boy so that they were at the same eye level.

"Harry, I am your guardian. I am responsible for your health and well-being. If I think you should have a better broom, I will provide you with one. You do not worry about money or costs or deserving something. I wouldn't give it to you if I didn't think you should have one would I?"

"But... you shouldn't have spent money on me Sir."

Severus gave an exasperated sigh and shook his head.

"Harry, that is my business and not yours. If I want to spend money on you I will, you do not have to earn it, I expect nothing in return Harry. Do you understand that? I expect nothing in return. All I ask is that you look after it."

He could see the conflict in Harry and decided to give it one more try.

"If it makes you feel any better I did not buy this broom for you. It is my broom that I have had for over a year, and I am giving it to you to fly with. I don't often fly and therefore it spends most of its time gathering dust, I would rather you put it to good use."

After what seemed like an age, Harry reached out tentatively and took hold of the proffered broom.

"Be careful, it's much faster than the school brooms." Severus warned.

"I will Sir, thank you very much. I'll take good care of it." Harry replied, his gaze transfixed on the broom.

"Right, I'll leave you to it. Don't be late back for dinner." Severus said, then turned and headed off back up the hill to the Castle.

_Would the boy ever cease to amaze him? The woodcarving was of such craftsmanship people would pay money for them! _Severus had also deduced that he still had a very long way to go with Harry after his reaction to being given the broom. Harry was clearly unused to receiving gifts and although being suspicious of peoples intentions was a Slytherin quality (and a useful one too), Harry was still clearly having trouble trusting him. Still, he supposed, Harry had solved one issue himself; '_an activity that allows him to express himself without repercussions'_ Albus had said, and Harry had hopefully found that in woodcarving.

OoOo

Harry stood with the broomstick in his right hand and his carved owl in his left watching the retreating form of his guardian with bewilderment. _Not only had the man said he was talented, but he had given him a broom – not any broom though, Snape's own broom! Snape must really trust him to let him use it for practices and games. He would look after it, just like he said, and he also needed to do something nice for Snape – the man had given him so much already and had been so nice to him, it was only right that Harry show his appreciation – but what? What could he do? _

Harry pondered this as he cleared away the carving tools and put them back in Hagrid's hut before making his way back up to the castle to put away the broom and go for dinner. Tomorrow he would go flying and try out Snape's broom, and he figured that if he hadn't come up with something to do for Snape by then, he would ask his friends for suggestions.

_Next chapter - Halloween_


	13. Chapter 13 - Halloween

_**A/N:** Thank you once again for the reviews, I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

Chapter 13 – Halloween

Monday evening's detention found Harry lying on the sofa in Snape's quarters after an hour of writing lines feeling very apprehensive and a little embarrassed. It was very strange lying wide-awake on his Professor's sofa.

"Right Harry, we're going to try a relaxation technique to help relieve stress. I want you to tense all the muscles in your right foot for ten seconds and then relax them, then do the same with your left foot, then tense your right calf, then your left. Alright?" Snape asked in his silky voice.

"Okay." Harry replied doubtfully.

"Alright then, tense your right foot now." Snape said, then began counting to ten.

"And relax. Make sure you breathe normally Harry. Now your left foot."

Harry did as he was told whilst Snape counted to ten. They continued with the exercise all the way up his body, tensing each muscle in turn until finally, every muscle had been tensed and relaxed in turn. Harry had to admit that although it seemed really weird, he did feel a bit more relaxed by the end of it.

"How do you feel Harry?" Snape asked once they had finished.

"Better thanks, more relaxed." Harry said, nodding his head as if to reassert his statement.

"Excellent. Now, I want you to do this exercise when you get in bed every night."

"Yes Sir." Harry replied, sitting up.

"Have you been on your new broom yet?" Snape asked, passing a mug of hot chocolate to Harry.

"Yes Sir it's awesome! It's much faster and I can do turns quicker and there was this Gryffindor kid who wanted to race me and I won! And then Captain Flint came and he kept throwing a ball for me to chase and I caught it every time!" Harry babbled enthusiastically.

"Very good, although I do hope you weren't performing any reckless stunts out there." Snape admonished, looking at Harry pointedly.

"Well, no, not really Sir." Harry replied, not sure as to what constituted as 'reckless'.

"Not really?"

"Well, I dunno Sir. What would be deemed as reckless?" Harry replied, feeling himself blush a little.

"Well let's see... barrel rolls, vertical dives, loops?"

Harry gave a sheepish smile as he felt his face burn – _oops,_ _he had done all of those!_

"Harry," Snape admonished.

"Sorry Sir! I didn't know I wasn't supposed to do them!" Harry said quickly.

"Did you not see the danger in performing those stunts?"

"I...I didn't think Sir. I'm sorry." Harry said, ducking his head.

"Harry, look at me please." Snape waited until Harry looked up and met the man's obsidian eyes before he continued.

"What are the Slytherin house traits?" Snape asked, catching Harry completely off-guard – he had been expecting a lecture about safety not a question. He gathered himself quickly and replied.

"Cunning and ambition Sir."

"Correct. Reckless behaviour is a trait that belongs to Gryffindors, Slytherins think before they act."

"So... I'm in the wrong house?" Harry panicked – _what if they sent him to Gryffindor? What about his friends?_

"No Harry, that's not what I meant." Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

"All children behave with a certain disregard to their safety sometimes, but I want you to think before you act, think about your safety. Your parents died to protect you Harry and I'm sure they wouldn't be pleased with you putting yourself at risk unnecessarily."

Harry dropped his head, he knew so little about his parents, he had never even been to their grave – if they had one – wherever it was. Then a thought occurred to him and the question had passed his lips before he had even realised he had spoken.

"Do my parents have a grave Sir?" Harry cringed once the question was out, not knowing if he were allowed to ask those sorts of questions.

Surprise registered briefly on Snape's face before it was schooled back into the neutral expression he always wore.

"They do. In Godric's Hollow. That is where you lived..." Snape didn't finish the sentence, but Harry didn't need him to. His mind suddenly whirled, questions were bubbling up inside him and he struggled to focus on one. After a few moments, he plucked up the courage to ask the one that bugged him the most not knowing.

"Sir, when did they die? I mean, what date?"

"October 31st 1981."

"On Halloween?" Harry asked with a shrill voice.

"Yes. Harry, I didn't realise you knew so little about your parents, is there anything else you wish to ask me?" Snape said, his voice calm and reassuring.

"Did you know them Sir?"

"I did."

"What were they like? Were you friends? Did they like potions too?" Harry began firing off questions without allowing Snape to answer them – he couldn't help it, he had wanted to know about his parents for so long and had never been allowed to ask before.

"Harry slow down. I can only answer one question at a time." Snape gave him an admonishing look but it lacked any real annoyance.

"Now, I knew your mother well. She was my first real friend, a very kind and caring woman. You have her eyes Harry, and yes, she was talented in potions. Your father... he was an excellent Quidditch player and he loved you and your mother very much."

Harry was quiet for a few moments before he asked if his mother had red hair.

"You've never seen any pictures of your parents?" Snape asked incredulously.

"No Sir, but I have a nightmare sometimes, there's a woman with red hair and then a blinding green light and she dies. It feels like she's my mum..." Harry trailed off, lost in thought. He gathered himself and looked back at his guardian, realising belatedly what he had just divulged. Snape was looking at him with a shocked expression and suddenly Harry felt a little fearful – _had he said something wrong? True, he hadn't meant to tell him about his nightmares, it had just slipped out, but surely he wasn't angry at him for that was he?_

"You remember... that's... How often do you have this nightmare Harry?" Snape asked in a soft voice, which made Harry relax a little.

"Once a week maybe, maybe more." Harry admitted, dropping his eyes to his lap.

"How long have you been experiencing this nightmare?"

"Since I was little, I don't really remember Sir." Harry kept his eyes down and fidgeted slightly, talking about his most frequent nightmare was making him feel uncomfortable. Thankfully, Snape seemed to sense his unease and brought the conversation to a close, bidding him goodnight and ushering him out of his quarters. Harry made his way up to his dorm room much in a daze, his mind going over the information that Snape had supplied him about his parents. That night, he dreamed that he and his mother and Snape were brewing potions together, then his father took him outside to ride their brooms around a large lake that closely resembled the Black Lake at Hogwarts. It was a good dream.

OoOo

Harry rose on Halloween morning with a heavy heart. His friends were excited about the Feast that was taking place that night but Harry struggled to muster up any sort of enthusiasm, ever since Snape had told him about his parents he had decided to do something to commemorate their passing on this night. He would not be joining the rest of the school for the feast tonight, instead he would go up to the astronomy tower and light two candles – one for each of his parents.

His classes that day passed in a daze, he forced a smile whenever his friends tried to engage him in a conversation about the upcoming feast but by the time classes had finished for the day he was beginning to feel agitated and a little short tempered.

"Come on Harry, what's wrong? You've been in a mood all day!" Draco said, picking up on Harry's sombreness.

"Nothing, I'm just not really in a party mood."

"Something's bothering you." Teddy admonished.

"Look guys, I appreciate your concern and stuff but-"

"No Harry, don't do that. Tell us what's wrong." Teddy interrupted.

Harry blew out a resigned breath then stopped walking and ushered his two friends into a small alcove.

"Snape told me last week... my parents died on Halloween."

"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry! And we've been waffling on about the feast and-"

"It's okay Teddy stop stressing. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to feel bad."

"Are you still coming to the feast?" Draco asked.

"No, but I want you guys to go ahead."

"We're not leaving you on your own Harry."

"Teddy please. I want some time on my own. Look, I'm going to go up to the astronomy tower and just spend a bit of time up there." Harry explained with a pleading look.

The two boys gave him a sombre look before agreeing to go to the feast without him, then continuing their trek back to the common room.

By six o'clock every student and teacher in the school were seated in the great hall eagerly awaiting the start of the feast. Harry made his way up the spiral staircase that led to the astronomy tower carrying two cream coloured candles and a box of matches. His friends had given him sympathetic looks before bidding him goodbye and making their way to the feast. Harry didn't mind missing dinner, he wasn't hungry anyway and he wasn't in a celebratory mood. This felt right, this was what he needed to do.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky as Harry looked up at the thousands of stars adorning the night sky, twinkling down at him from where he stood taking in the crisp night air. Harry was glad he had worn warm clothes as there was a distinct chill in the air, making it clear that winter was definitely on its way. He moved away from the balcony and placed the candles on a ledge carefully before lighting them. He took a few paces backwards then and stared at the orange flames flickering in the breeze. He tensed and relaxed his muscles in a similar fashion to the way Snape had taught him, feeling the stresses of the day ebb away from his tired body. Closing his eyes, Harry concentrated on the image of his parents smiling faces – it was much easier to imagine them since Professor McGonagall had given him a picture of them. Harry guessed Snape had told her about his never having seen them and had probably asked her if she had any she could show him. It was yet another thing Snape had done for him and he still hadn't thought of anything he could do for the man in return.

Time melted away as Harry watched the slow burn of the candles. A lone tear escaped his eye and trickled steadily down his rosy cheek as he thought of a life he hadn't had; one with loving parents who gave him hugs and soothed his hurts, protected him and tucked him in at night, reading bedtime stories and enjoying hot chocolate by the fire. He imagined their proud faces smiling down at him when he was the first person in class to master writing his name, and his father would ruffle his hair and pull him close when he announced he had made the Quidditch team.

He looked up to the stars, wondering if they were looking down on him, checking in on him from time to time. The thought comforted him, giving him a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"One day, I'll make you proud of me. I promise." Harry whispered to the stars.

He didn't know how long he'd been up there, but he was beginning to get cold and so, with a small bow to the two burning candles, Harry made his way back inside the castle and trudged down the stone steps at a steady pace.

"HARRY!"

Harry looked up and saw his two best friends bounding up the stairs towards him, they were out of breath and looking panicked.

"What's up guys?" Harry asked quizzically.

"There's a troll! Everyone's been sent back to their common rooms!" Draco shouted breathlessly.

"What?!" Harry shrieked.

"A troll! Come on, we've got to get back to the common room, now!" Teddy said, grabbing Harry by the arm and dragging him down the steps.

"I'm coming Teddy, you don't have to drag me!" Harry said, pulling his arm out of Teddy's grasp.

"Sorry Harry." Teddy replied, but carried on descending the stairs at an alarming pace.

Harry struggled to keep up with his two friends as they scrabbled down the stairs towards the safety of the dungeons, then came to a screeching halt in order to avoid barging into Draco who had stopped suddenly on a landing. Stood before the three boys was a very red-eyed Gryffindor girl.

"Granger! What the hell are you doing here?" Draco asked.

"I could ask you the same question!" Granger replied snottily.

"We're on our way back to the common room." Teddy replied defensively.

"Why? Has the feast finished already?" Granger asked.

"You don't know?" Draco piped up.

"I wouldn't be asking if I knew now would I?" Granger said haughtily.

"Quirrell burst into the Great Hall and said there was a troll loose in the school. Everyone was ordered back to their common rooms." Teddy explained hurriedly.

"A troll?! But, then why are you on the stairs?"

"Erm, well, we came to get Harry, he wasn't at the feast so he didn't know." Teddy explained awkwardly.

Draco sucked in a sharp breath as a look of sheer terror overtook his features. With a trembling hand, Draco pointed towards the stairwell behind the young Gryffindor.

"TROLL!" Draco shrieked, visibly shaking.

They all turned to where Draco pointed and saw a large grey lumbering creature about 10 feet tall with long arms and short legs making its way slowly up the stairs. Draco's shout had caught its attention and with a snarl on its face, the troll began stalking towards them, never taking its boggle eyes from them.

"Quick, in here!" Harry cried, dragging a terrified Draco into a corridor, Teddy and Granger following closely behind. They ran as fast as they could along the dark corridor, their shoes clattering along the floor as they sped towards a large oak door at the end of it. Harry noticed the corridor looked like it hadn't been used in quite some time as dust swirled up around Draco's feet and legs as he ran. They reached the door quickly and stopped briefly, panting for breath. Draco reached up and tried the handle but the door was locked, with a frustrated humph he let go and stepped back.

"Out of the way." Granger intoned, drawing her wand and pointing it at the handle.

"Alohomora!" The door clicked open.

"Brilliant! Nice one Granger!" Draco smiled happily and led the way through the door, Harry was the last through and shut it quickly behind him before turning around to see where the door had led them.

The four children stood stock still, not even daring to breathe in case they woke what appeared to be a giant monstrous dog with three heads. Three heads! Harry turned to look at his friends and noticed they all wore the same terrified expression. He took a step backwards, reaching behind him to find the door handle and unable to tear his gaze from the creature in front of him. To the children's horror, the creature stirred and began to wake.

"Open the door!" Draco shrieked, panicking.

The three heads were now awake and began growling at its intruders. Shaking uncontrollably, Harry managed to turn and grasp the door handle, yanking the door open and stepping back to allow his friends to exit. Granger hurried through first, followed by Draco on her heels and then Teddy. Harry was about to step through when something hit him hard, knocking him sideways and into a wall, his head connecting with a painful thump. He fell to the floor clutching his head in pain, his side was hurting too from the fall and there was a terrible stinging on his thigh. The dog creature growled again and Harry scrambled to his feet in a slight daze, his right hand still clutching his head.

"Harry!" Teddy shouted and grabbed him roughly by the arm, dragging him through the door before the dog could have another swipe at him. Draco shut the door as soon as Harry stepped through it and then leant back against it, breathing a few deep breaths to calm himself.

"What the hell was that?!" Teddy said breathlessly.

He looked at his companions who all looked decidedly pale from fright.

"Are you alright Harry?" Teddy asked, noticing he was still clutching the side of his head.

"Yeah, just hit my head. Come on, we should get out of here before anything else happens." Harry replied, testing the weight on his hurting leg.

The four of them turned to make their way back down the corridor but to their renewed horror, they found their exit blocked by the large troll they had seen earlier. It stood about 30 feet away, eying them up as if they were a meal.

"Now what?" Harry gulped.

"Oh my god, we're going to die!" Draco shrieked.

"Wait! Can you all do the levitation charm?" Granger asked, looking at each one of them in turn.

"Yeah course we can." Teddy said defensively.

"See those atlas stones over there?" Granger said, pointing to the objects in question.

"We each levitate one and then let it drop on the troll's head!" Granger explained quickly, drawing her wand as she spoke.

The three boys followed her instruction and concentrated on levitating the large atlas stones. Harry was having trouble concentrating as the pain in his head flared but after a few moments of deep breaths, the pain lessened slightly and he spoke the incantation clearly. The stone began to rise steadily and he smiled triumphantly for a few moments before remembering the situation at hand and renewed his concentration on moving the stone so that it rested above the troll's head. The troll was moving slowly towards them, lumbering ungainly about 20 feet from them. As soon as all four of them had their stones in position, Granger shouted 'now!' They each released their stones and held their breaths as they watched the stones crash down onto the troll's head and shoulders. The troll lunged forward and fell to the floor with a deafening thump, causing swirls of dust to rise into the air around it. After a few moments of stunned silence, the four companions erupted into elated cheers - _they had done it! _Granger grabbed Teddy into a fierce hug, whilst Draco turned to Harry and patted him on the back with a silly grin on his face.

"Granger, that was bloody brilliant!" Teddy said, whilst extricating himself from her.

"Thank you, and it's Hermoine if you don't mind." The girl said with a proud smile.

"Erm, ok. Hermoine." Teddy replied, trying out the name.

"JUST WHAT IN THE BLUE BLAZES OF HELL IS GOING ON HERE!"

The four friends turned abruptly at the shout from the end of the corridor. Professor McGonagall was storming along the corridor with Professor Snape beside her looking thunderous with rage. Harry gulped unconsciously, feeling fear rise up within him. He chanced a quick look at his friends and saw they looked just as afraid as him. Professor McGonagall soon reached the four and stood with her hands on her hips peering down at them sternly.

"Explain yourselves this instant!"

The pain in Harry's head was growing steadily again and he prayed this would be over quickly. He looked at his friends once again and hoped someone would start speaking soon. Teddy began stuttering at the same time as Hermoine, clearly at a complete loss as to what to say.

"Stop!" Snape intoned, then stared down at Harry.

Harry shrunk back, shaking his head a little. Thankfully, Draco stepped forward and began telling the story.

"Well Sir, we were on our way to the common room when we saw the troll on the stairs coming towards us so we ran into this corridor but it followed us. Then… then Granger here had the idea about levitating some atlas stones and dropping them on it's head, so that's what we did. Sir."

Draco explained hurriedly with a light stutter, wisely missing out the part about the three-headed dog.

"And why were you on the stairs to begin with?" Snape asked, piercing Draco with a cold stare.

Draco fidgeted under Snape's gaze, looking across at Harry, who decided it was his turn to step up.

"It's my fault Sir, they were looking for me." Harry said with more confidence than he felt.

"No! It wasn't Harry's fault, we decided to come for him." Teddy exclaimed.

"And why did your friends need to come looking for you Mr. Potter?"

Harry felt his ears burn and he took a deep breath, scrunching his hands into fists at his side.

"I went to the astronomy tower instead of to the feast Sir."

"And just why would you do that?"

Harry studied his feet for a few moments, gathering his courage before answering.

"I lit two candles for my parents, to remember them." Harry said, almost in a whisper. He kept his head lowered but chanced a quick sideways look at his friends. Teddy gave him a small reassuring nod and Harry felt relief washing through him. He looked up through his fringe and saw that Snape's face had softened slightly, but he still looked incredibly angry.

"Do you have any idea how lucky you four are? Taking on a fully grown mountain troll! Still, that was very quick thinking on your part Miss. Granger, well done." Professor McGonagall turned to Snape then and they seemed to have a silent conversation before she turned back to them.

"Ten points to Miss. Granger for her quick thinking under pressure, and five points to each of you, for sheer dumb luck!" MGonagall said rather sternly.

The four friends gave each other relieved smiles before turning back to the two teachers before them.

"Are any of you injured?" McGonagall asked, piercing each one with a stern look.

One by one, they all shook their heads, except for Harry, who refused to meet her eyes and kept his head lowered.

"Mr. Potter?"

"Yes Professor?" Harry answered, not looking up.

"Are you injured?"

"He fell and banged his head Professor." Draco interjected.

Snape knelt down and entered Harry's line of sight. He gently cupped Harry's chin and turned his head slowly. His sharp intake of breath unnerved Harry.

"You're bleeding Harry, that's a nasty gash. Come, you need to see Madame Pomfrey." Snape said as he stood back up.

Harry stepped forward and hissed in pain as the previously forgotten sting in his thigh reared up and throbbed painfully.

"What is it?" Snape asked.

"My leg." Harry answered, twisting his body to try to look at the outside of his thigh where the pain originated. He touched it tentatively and hissed again, his hand finding a wet sticky substance there. Great, his leg was bleeding too. Snape inspected his thigh quickly then shook his head in despair and grabbed Harry under his armpits, lifting him easily and bringing him to rest on the man's hip. Harry's arms instinctively went around Snape's shoulders despite feeling incredibly childish and more than a little embarrassed at being carried this way.

"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Nott, follow me." Snape instructed, turning and heading back down the corridor. Harry rested his head on Snape's shoulder feeling very tired all of a sudden.

"What am I going to do with you child?" Snape admonished.

"Sorry Sir." Harry murmured quietly.

"Stay awake Harry."

"Yessir."

Snape entered the Infirmary with Teddy and Draco following closely. He deposited Harry on the nearest bed as Madame Pomfrey bustled towards them. She took one look at Harry and shook her head.

"He has a nasty gash on his head and thigh." Snape explained to her.

"Right, let's have a look then." Madame Pomfrey said, turning Harry's head to the side.

"I'll be back momentarily. Mr Malfoy, Mr Nott, back to your common room." Snape gestured with his hand for them to go, then escorted them from the room as they threw goodbyes over their shoulders at Harry.

OoOo

Severus returned to the Infirmary to find Madame Pomfrey rubbing a healing paste into Harry's thigh. The child looked incredibly pale, no doubt in mild shock. There was something amiss about his injuries though, and Severus was determined to get the whole story from the boy.

"Harry, how did you cut your leg?" Snape asked in what he hoped was a soft voice.

"I… I'm not sure Sir."

"What did I say about lying young man?" He said more sternly.

"You'll be angry." Harry mumbled, keeping his eyes on his hands in his lap.

"H-a-r-r-y," Severus warned.

The boy looked up sheepishly then took a deep breath before he spoke.

"We were trying to get away from the troll, so we went through the door at the end of the corridor. Did you know there's a gigantic three-headed dog through there?"

Severus' eyes widened as he realised just how much danger his ward and friends had been in. The boy saw his expression darken and squirmed uncomfortably on the bed, dropping his eyes once again. The room was silent for a long time as Severus fought to control his emotions, finally deciding that the boy had been through enough for one day and seeing as Harry had not gone looking for trouble, or disobeyed any instructions, he would let this incident go. After one final warning of course.

"Harry, you are not to go anywhere near the third floor corridor again, do you hear me?" Snape said sternly.

"Yes Sir, I'm really sorry Sir." Harry replied sincerely.

"Right, that's you sorted Mr. Potter. Do try and stay out of trouble young man." Madame Pomfrey said, giving Severus a sympathetic smile.

"Thank you Madame Pomfrey." Harry said, sliding off the bed and testing his weight on his injured leg.

"Goodnight boys." Madame Pomfrey said, dismissing them.

Severus put a steadying hand at the child's back and led him out of the Infirmary, back towards the common room.

"How are you feeling Harry?" Severus asked, remembering why the boy had gone to the astronomy tower in the first place.

"I'm okay Sir." Harry replied after a few moments.

"Is there anything you wish to talk about?"

Harry looked up at him quickly before answering in the negative. Realising he wouldn't get anything further from the boy he bid him a good evening and retired to his quarters to take a long, hot, relaxing bath to ease away the worries and stresses of the day, berating himself for not realising the boy would be upset on the anniversary of his parents deaths. It had been difficult for him to talk to Harry about them, and to speak of James without snarling and insulting him had taken a great deal of effort, but he knew Harry didn't need to hear about Severus' animosity towards James Potter. Wondering what dangerous situation the child would find himself in next to frighten another ten years of life out of him, he breathed a deep sigh and entered his quarters, relishing in his sanctuary.

_Next Chapter – Playing with fire_


	14. Chapter 14 - Playing with fire

_**A/N: **__Once again, thank you so much for the reviews! _

Chapter 14 – Playing with fire

A week had passed since Halloween and Harry was feeling much better, Madame Pomfrey had done a good job healing him. The weather had turned bitterly cold and once again, Harry was grateful for the warm clothes Snape had bought him. He smiled to himself as he smoothed down his jumper, relishing in the soft feel of the fabric. He then donned his warm furry coat and headed off happily to Hagrid's hut intent on finishing his gift for his guardian.

Harry had gotten the idea after spending the evening preparing ingredients for Snape. The Professor had been brewing a potion and had cursed loudly when the wooden stirrer he was using had disintegrated in the cauldron. Harry had asked him why he didn't just use a glass stirrer and Snape had told him that some of the rarer potions he brewed needed to be stirred using a wooden one, and he would have to wait two weeks until the Apothecary would have a new shipment of wooden stirrers. After garnering all the details about the stirrer – size, special grooves, depth etc. he had rushed down to Hagrid's to ask for help in locating the correct type of wood. Birch-wood was actually quite a soft wood and easy to carve with so Harry had had little trouble getting the shape right. All he needed to do now was to carve the small grooves on the handle and sand it down, he could be finished in a couple of hours and present it to Snape a week before the man had to go to the Apothecary.

Straight after lunch Harry rushed to his Professor's office with his completed stirrer safely tucked inside his coat. He knocked on the door and waited until he was bid entrance before rushing excitedly up to Snape's desk where the man sat grading papers. He had been really proud of himself and had thought this was the perfect gift for his guardian, but as he stood there waiting for the man to finish what he was doing self-doubt began to creep in and he began to worry that maybe it wasn't good enough, maybe the grooves were too shallow, maybe...

"What is it Harry?" Snape asked, tearing Harry away from his thoughts.

Harry hesitated, unsure of himself now.

"Well?"

"Erm, I... I... I made this for you Sir," Harry began, pulling the stirrer from his coat. "I'm not sure it's right and you can just throw it away if it's no good Sir..."

Snape gave him a quizzical look as he took the proffered object then inspected it closely as he turned it slowly in his hands. Harry stood nervously, watching the man's face intently for any signs of displeasure, then startled slightly when Snape's head shot up and stared at Harry.

"You made this?" Snape asked with a raspy voice, like he hadn't spoken for hours.

"Yes Sir. If you don't like it it's fine sir-" Harry stopped when Snape held up his hand to halt him.

"Harry, this is... this is perfect. Thank you Harry, it is very thoughtful of you." Snape's face softened as he spoke and pride welled up inside Harry, his face sporting a wide happy grin.

"This is why you kept asking me questions when my old one disintegrated. Thank you Harry, this will be very useful." Snape said softly, allowing a small smile to play at his lips as Harry beamed up at him.

"Okay well, I'd best leave you to your marking Sir. Bye!" Harry said, cheerfully sauntering out of the office to go find his friends.

Harry found his friends in the paved courtyard playing gobstones and happily joined in. After an hour or so, the three boys grew bored and decided to take a walk around the grounds. Even though it was quite chilly, they were reluctant to go indoors as it was rather noisy and crowded. It wasn't long before they came across Hermione Granger sitting on a bench in a secluded corner of the transfiguration courtyard with her nose buried in a book.

Draco and Teddy rolled their eyes knowingly at each other as they approached her, Harry smiled as he got nearer and greeted the girl warmly. Hermione startled badly and slid across the bench slightly, as if concealing something she didn't want them to see.

"What's up Hermione?" Harry asked, noticing her slightly fearful expression.

"Nothing Harry. Nothing at all."

"You seem a bit jumpy, didn't mean to startle you." Harry offered, trying to have a discreet peek around her small frame.

"What are you reading?" Harry asked again, keeping her occupied while Draco moved steadily to his right.

"Bloody hell! What is that?" Draco uttered, pointing at whatever it was Hermione had been trying to conceal.

"Nothing!" Hermione shrieked defensively.

Harry moved next to Draco and saw a small blue flickering object that looked much like a ball of flame.

"Is that... is that fire?" Harry asked incredulously. He was still getting used to all the different ways in which magic could be used.

"You can't tell anyone!" Hermione said harshly, obviously upset.

"Did you conjure it Hermione?" Teddy asked.

Hermione nodded, then flushed when Teddy announced that it was 'really cool' and gave her an appreciative smile.

"I was using it to keep warm, it still burns you though if you touch it so be careful."

The boys crouched around the small blue flame and warmed their hands carefully, still amazed at the girl's ability to conjure such a thing.

"Did your parents teach you how to do this?" Draco asked after a while.

"My parents? Of course not, they're muggles!" Hermione said with a laugh.

Draco stood up abruptly with a thunderous expression, staring down at Hermione fiercely.

"You're a mudblood!" Draco spat venomously, then stormed off without waiting to see if his friends were following him. Harry looked from Teddy to Hermione deeply puzzled. Teddy had turned an interesting shade of red, whilst Hermione looked about to burst into tears.

"What's... mudblood mean?" Harry asked sheepishly.

"It means someone who's muggleborn Harry." Teddy said, giving Hermione a sympathetic look.

"But-" Harry stopped when the girl jumped to her feet and stormed off quickly, disappearing round a corner before either boy could follow her. Teddy shook his head and began to walk off in the other direction, avoiding eye contact with Harry.

Harry was about to follow when he realised the blue flame still flickering away on the stone bench. He sighed deeply and decided to try to get the flame back into the jar that Hermione had also left behind, feeling extremely confused.

_What was so bad about being muggleborn? Why had Draco acted that way, and why had Teddy just left like that? Mudblood – it didn't sound very nice and Harry knew it was meant as an insult. Maybe he could ask Snape about it, about Draco's reaction – but wait – what if it was a wizard swear word and Draco got into trouble for it? Maybe he would just wait until later and ask Teddy for more information._

Harry grabbed the jar and took the lid off before approaching the flame carefully. Just as he was scooping up the flame into the jar - being very careful to keep his hands at the base of the jar so he didn't get burnt – he heard his name being shouted and startled badly. The jar slipped from his fingers and smashed on the floor whilst the flames nipped at his hands. Harry jumped back in shock with a yelp, pulling his hands to his chest as he felt the burning sensation increase. He bit back a moan and slowly brought his hands away to inspect the damage. His palms were bright pink and a blister had started to form, they were getting really painful now and Harry could feel tears begin to well up in his eyes.

"Harry! What are doing out here by yourself?"

Harry turned and saw Flint jogging towards him. Flint must have seen the pained look on Harry's face as a look of concern overtook his features.

"What is it Harry? What's wrong?"

Harry turned pitiful eyes back at the blue flame still on the bench behind him. Flint followed his gaze.

"Where did that come from Harry?"

Harry shook his head, cradling his hands carefully as a couple of tears escaped down his face.

"Come on, let's get you to Madame Pomfrey." Flint said, steering Harry towards the entrance door.

"Are your hands burnt Harry?" Flint asked softly.

Harry nodded, trying his best not to start sobbing like a baby.

"Is it just your hands?"

Again, Harry nodded.

They made their way steadily along the corridor and a deep feeling of dread rose from the pit of his stomach as Snape appeared from round a corner. Snape had obviously seen how distressed Harry was because he increased his speed and was kneeling in front of Harry in a matter of seconds.

"What's happened?" He asked in a concerned voice.

Harry sniffed and held his hands out for his guardian to see, choking back a sob that tried to escape as he fought to keep his composure. His breathing was becoming laboured at the effort and he knew he would lose it soon, but it hurt so much!

"Come, I have some excellent burn salve in my quarters." Snape said as he stood and led Harry down towards the dungeons.

"Mr. Flint, how did Harry come to burn himself?" Snape spoke to the older boy as they walked.

"I believe it was on a conjured blue flame in the transfiguration yard Sir, actually, I think maybe I should go and take care of that before anyone else hurts themselves."

"Yes Mr. Flint, I believe that would be a good idea. Thank you."

"No problem Sir." Flint said, then turned and headed back down the corridor.

OoOo

Severus sat the boy on the counter beside his sink in his bathroom and opened his medicine cabinet, he quickly located the jar of burn salve and popped the lid.

"Hold out your hands Harry."

The boy did as he was told, looking down at his hands with a pitiful expression. Severus could see he was in a lot of pain and so worked as quickly but gently as he could applying the salve to the inflamed areas of skin. Once finished, Severus put his hand beneath Harry's chin and raised the child's head so that he was looking directly at him. Harry really did look very pitiful; his eyes were red and puffy and tear streaks lined his flushed face. Severus grabbed a cloth, dampened it under the tap then wiped the boy's face gently, noting with great relief that the child did not flinch at his touch. Once finished, he dropped the cloth haphazardly into the sink and braced himself against the counter with his hands either side of Harry's legs.

"Now, did you conjure the flame?"

"No Sir." Harry replied meekly.

"Do you know who did?"

"Yes Sir."

"Who was it?"

Harry shook his head slightly and clamped his lips together. _Well, at least he wasn't lying exactly._

"Why won't you tell me?"

"Because I don't want them to get in trouble. It was my fault I burnt myself Sir, I wasn't careful enough."

"What exactly were you doing with it?" Severus asked, hoping that if he asked enough questions, the boy would give in and tell him.

"First, first we were keeping our hands warm, then... then something happened and I went to put the flame back in the jar but... I wasn't careful enough and the jar broke and I burnt my hands. I'm really sorry Sir."

"Something happened? What happened?"

"It's nothing important Sir."

"Obviously it is or you would not be reluctant to tell me."

"Please Sir, I don't want anyone else to get into trouble." Harry pleaded.

Severus blew out a frustrated breath before peering back at the child then began again.

"Harry, you could have been seriously injured, you and whomever else you were with. Were you alone when you tried to put the flame in the jar?"

"Yes Sir."

"I want you to tell me the full story Harry, from the beginning."

"No Sir I can't! I'm not a grass!" Harry shouted, then began to cross his arms over his chest but stopped at the sharp pain when his damaged hands met the fabric of his jumper.

Severus stood up straight and ran a hand over his face. _Of course the boy would be loyal to his friends. Fine, more than one way to skin a kneazle!_

"Fine, I'll just speak to Teddy and Draco then, maybe they will be able to enlighten me as to what has occurred today."

"No! It wasn't them! Honest!"

Severus raised an eyebrow and the boy looked down sheepishly for a few moments before bringing his head up to meet Severus' eyes once more.

"Sorry Sir, but they didn't conjure the flame, honest Sir."

"But they know who did." Severus said it as a statement but he wanted confirmation, the boy reluctantly nodded his head.

"You believe your friends will not be as loyal to this... conjuror?"

"There was a... well... it wasn't exactly an argument but... oh I don't know." Harry became exasperated at the end of his hesitant sentence. Severus thought back to all the people he had seen with his ward recently, which were actually very few. It seemed the boy was uncomfortable with the silence.

"Sir, what's wrong with being a muggleborn?"

_Ah ha! Everything had suddenly become very clear – the Gryffindor know it all from Halloween. No doubt Draco had discovered her blood status._

"Let's go into the living room Harry, I think this discussion may take a while." Severus picked Harry up under the armpits and deposited him gently on his feet, noting how light the boy still was. Harry gave him a worried glance before leading the way out of the bathroom.

Harry sat on the sofa whilst Severus took his seat in his armchair across from the sofa and ordered them some hot drinks.

"Harry, did you hear an... offensive word today?"

"Yes Sir, well, I think it was bad. I've never heard it before." The child ducked his head a little.

"I see, and it was a derogatory word for muggleborns?"

Harry nodded.

"Harry, there are some wizarding families who believe that blood purity is very important. They believe that magical blood should not be mixed with non-magical blood. You have heard of the terms pureblood and half-blood yes?" Again Harry nodded, his brows furrowed together.

"There are many ancient pureblood families around; the Malfoys are one, as are the Zabini's. I know Draco's father is a firm believer in blood purity – they believe that muggleborns are... below them. It is a prejudice much like racism amongst muggles."

"Do you... do you believe muggleborns are..."

"No Harry, I don't."

The boy gave a sigh of relief.

"Me neither Sir."

"Good. Although I must warn you child, there are many pureblood families in Slytherin who do look down on muggleborns, so I would exercise caution when speaking of these matters. Do you understand?"

"Yes Sir, I get it." Harry said, nodding.

"And I don't want you to ever say that word to anyone."

"I won't Sir."

"Good. Now, is there anything else you wish to talk about?" He noted that instead of instantly refusing, the child actually seemed to be thinking about it. He waited patiently, taking a long sip of his tea and relishing in the soothing warmth of the liquid.

"Are you coming to the Quidditch match on Saturday Sir?"

"Of course I am child, my House is playing, as is my Ward." Severus said, giving a small wry smile. The child understood and beamed back at him happily before taking a long drink of his hot chocolate, the mug gripped with two tiny hands.

OoOo

Harry sat looking at his breakfast with deep trepidation. Today was Saturday, the first Quidditch match of the season and he was playing as seeker. He was so nervous he didn't think he could stomach anything right now, his stomach was tied into knots and he felt sick in his throat.

"You have to eat something Harry. And don't forget your potion either." Teddy said, indicating to the vial beside his pumpkin juice.

"I think I'm gonna sick up."

"It's just nerves Harry, you'll be fine." Teddy said with a sympathetic smile.

Harry had not spoken to Teddy or Draco any further about the incident with Hermione earlier that week, especially seeing as Draco had taken to scowling at the girl whenever they shared a class. Harry had given her a weak smile a couple of times, but that was all. He really didn't want to fall out with his friends, but he couldn't abide being nasty to the girl either.

"Eat something Harry, Snape's giving you daggers." Teddy said quietly.

Harry looked up to the staff table and sure enough, Snape was staring at him with a surly expression. He gulped past the lump in his throat and brought the vial to his lips. Sending a quick silent prayer that it would stay down, Harry upended the vial and swallowed the potion quickly, then took a long drink of his juice. His stomach felt queasy for a few moments but then seemed to accept the liquid. Breathing a sigh of relief he picked up a slice of buttered toast and began eating it slowly.

Too soon, Harry stood with his team-mates waiting to enter the Quidditch pitch.

"You'll be great Harry, don't worry. Just stay high and keep your eyes open okay?" Flint said reassuringly. Harry nodded, then stepped forward with his team as the announcer introduced them to the crowd.

Ten minutes into the game, as Harry watched the game from high above the stands fascinated, his broom began to jerk suddenly and uncontrollably. He gave out a surprised yelp and gripped the handle tightly. The burns on his hands had healed nicely, and it was a good job too, because Harry needed his hands in full working order to keep his grip firmly on his broom. As the seconds wore on, the broom jerked more and more violently, unseating Harry and leaving him dangling in the air from his broom. With every fibre of his being, Harry held on to the broom with the best death grip ever known to wizardkind. Far below, every spectator at the game had noticed his broom's erratic behaviour and his team-mates were now flying towards him in the hope of helping him.

In the stands, Teddy was getting frantic.

"He's being cursed!" Draco shouted.

"By who?" Teddy asked loudly.

"How the hell should I know?" Draco said, then both boys turned to search the stands. After a few moments of searching, Teddy spotted Professor Quirrell staring at Harry, his mouth moving mechanically as if chanting.

"There! Quirrell!" Teddy shouted, pointing at the man in question.

"Now what?" Draco asked.

"I don't know... oh! Granger can make fire!"

"No way Teddy, I don't associate with mudbloods."

"You'd rather watch Harry die?"

Draco's defiant look faltered at Teddy's words, but he was taking too long for Teddy's liking.

"Fine, I'll go myself!"

"You'll never reach her from here!" Draco said, then took a small piece of parchment from his pocket and scribbled a quick message. Then, using his wand, he levitated the paper into the air and across to where he saw the Granger girl leaning over the railing watching Harry with a concerned expression.

A piece of paper flew into Hermione's vision and she grabbed at it quickly.

_Quirrell's cursing the broom, can you get over there and do the blue flame thing to him?_

Hermione looked up and saw the vile Malfoy boy staring at her. Next to him was Harry's other friend, Teddy, looking across the stands with a pleading look on his face. Decision made, she gave Teddy a quick nod then drew her wand and pushed her way out of the Gryffindor stand and over to the teachers stand. She met Teddy just below the stand and he gave her a quick 'thanks' before helping her climb up to the rear of the bleacher seats. She found Quirrell quickly and whispered the incantation so that nobody could possibly hear her. A moment later Quirrell's robes had caught alight and the man began jumping up and down, shrieking like a banshee. She dropped back down and Teddy caught her before she lost her balance.

"Thanks Hermione, and... sorry for what happened the other day... Draco can be a bit, well, a bit of a prat sometimes..."

"He's a narrow-minded, arrogant, vile little creature!" Hermione yelled.

"Erm, well... thanks for helping anyway." Teddy said awkwardly.

"I did this for Harry." Hermione declared before walking past him and heading back towards the Gryffindor stands, casting her eyes up to where Harry had just managed to right himself on his broom.

Flint had been hovering just below Harry, ready to catch him if he fell, but thankfully, Harry had managed to hold on until the broom stopped jerking. With a great heave, he managed to swing his legs up and pull himself back onto his broom. Breathing a great sigh of relief, he smiled at Flint to let the Captain know he was alright. Flint gave Harry a relieved nod before flying off to rejoin the game that had resumed only seconds before. Harry continued to hover for a few moments searching for the snitch whilst allowing his breathing to return to normal - _that had been scary! _

Harry circled the pitch a couple of times before spotting the elusive little golden ball and without any other thought in his mind, he took off at full speed after it. He did not notice a bludger pass dangerously close to his head, nor did he see the Gryffindor seeker come up beside him before the boy barged into him, knocking him slightly off course. Suddenly more aware of his surroundings, Harry barged the other seeker then pointed the broom down as he took off at a renewed speed towards the golden snitch, leaving the Gryffindor seeker still trying to recover from being barged. The snitch began to descend violently and Harry went into a steep dive not unlike the one he took to retrieve Neville's Remembrall on his first day flying. He pulled up close to the ground and reached out but the snitch was too far in front of him. Becoming bold, Harry carefully stood up on his broom and reached forward… a little more.. a little more… his fingers closed around the snitch and Harry gave a triumphant shout, a second later a bludger hit him on his arm making him lose his balance and he fell off his broom, somersaulting over onto the ground and landing in a painful heap on the pitch.

Harry had had the wind knocked out of him when he hit the ground and he blinked back tears at the pain in his arm as he sucked in deep breaths. Seconds later, Flint was beside him asking if he was ok. That was when Harry remembered catching the snitch. He looked down at his injured arm and noticed his hand was still curled into a fist. Moving his fingers caused him pain, but he did it anyway and beamed proudly at Flint as the golden snitch sat patiently in his palm. Flint beamed back down at him and ruffled his hair affectionately before helping him to stand, then picked him up and sat Harry on his shoulders shouting triumphantly. Harry took the snitch in his good hand and held it up for the crowds to see as the rest of his team came down and dismounted their brooms, rushing over to him cheering loudly.

OoOo

Severus allowed himself to breathe at seeing his ward was safely on the ground and seemingly unhurt, then he noticed the boy held the snitch in his left hand whilst his right arm dangled lifelessly at his side. He would deal with the perpetrator of the curse later, right now he needed to get to his trouble-magnet ward. Severus reached the pitch and the small throng of students quickly parted to clear a path to where Flint was still carrying Harry on his shoulders. Flint saw his Head of House approach and carefully set Harry back on the ground.

"Harry did it Sir, he caught the snitch!" Flint announced triumphantly.

"Yes I saw Mr. Flint. I also noticed Mr. Potter take a bludger to his right arm."

Flint's expression quickly changed from triumphant to one of deep concern.

"Harry?" Flint asked.

"Hurts a bit." The child said, flushing.

"Let me see Mr. Potter." Severus said, kneeling down to inspect the injured limb.

He rolled up the boys sleeve carefully and was dismayed to find it was already deeply bruised and most probably broken.

"To Madame Pomfrey Mr. Potter, I believe you know the way by now." Severus said wryly, standing up and motioning for the boy to go first.

They made their way through the horde of cheering students and back to the castle.

"I'm sorry Sir, I didn't mean to get hurt."

"I know you didn't child, trouble just seems to have a knack of finding you."

"So… you're not mad?" Harry chanced a look up at him.

"Not at you Harry."

"Oh."

Severus was livid, but Harry was not the reason for his anger. Quirrell's shriek and the distinct smell of burning had caused him to stop chanting the counter-curse, only to find the man's robes had been set alight by a blue flame. No doubt Granger had set him alight, and the only reason for that as far as Severus could see was because the girl thought Quirrell was the one cursing his ward's broom. He would have to speak to her at his earliest opportunity to ensure his theory was correct before approaching Quirrell. If his theory was indeed correct then Quirrell was in for a world of pain and suffering.

Severus entered the Infirmary and called for Poppy. A moment later she appeared, then gave a disapproving look at seeing who her patient was.

"Back again Mr. Potter? What is it this time?" Poppy asked.

"A broken arm I believe, Madame Pomfrey. He was hit by a bludger." Severus explained.

Poppy harrumphed, shaking her head and mumbling about Quidditch being too dangerous for children to play as she steered Harry onto a bed and began waving her wand over him doing a diagnostic check. After a few moments Poppy announced that he did indeed have a broken arm, along with suffering from dehydration and mild shock. Severus watched as Poppy went about her work healing the child and administering potions. Harry gulped down the potions compliantly, barely making a sound as Poppy put a sling on his injured arm.

"Keep this on during the day for two days Mr. Potter, but take it off when you go to bed. I expect you back here after classes on Monday for a check up, alright?"

"Yes Ma'am, thank you." Harry replied, sliding down off the bed.

"Has the match finished?" Poppy asked Severus.

"Yes it is, Mr. Potter here caught the snitch."

Poppy's surprised expression was enough to make him smile a little, before he schooled his features and gave her a grateful nod before turning and steering Harry back out of the Infirmary.

"Harry, I'm going to allow you to celebrate with your friends, but I want you to have an early night tonight, and drink plenty of fluids."

"Yes Sir I will." Then, after a few moments, "Sir, what happened with my broom?"

Severus hesitated, not sure he should alarm the boy by telling him someone had cursed him.

"That is something I will be investigating Harry. Do not trouble yourself, I will get to the bottom of it." Severus could see Harry was concerned and so gave him a reassuring smile and a gentle squeeze on his shoulder. Harry smiled back up at him and Severus was overjoyed that the boy had begun to trust him.

Leaving Harry in the now very rowdy common room, Severus made his way up to Minerva McGonagall's office and knocked lightly on the door before entering.

"Congratulations Severus, although I didn't expect you to come all the way up here to gloat." Minerva said slightly put out.

"Thank you Minerva, and no, I'm not here to gloat. I believe I know who cursed Harry's broom but I need to speak to one of your students to confirm my theory."

"You think one of my students cursed his broom?!"

"No, I think one of your students set Quirrell's robes on fire." Severus said, raising an eyebrow slightly as a challenge. Comprehension dawned on Minerva's face at Severus' cryptic clue and she stood from behind her desk.

"Which student?"

"Miss. Granger."

"Miss. Granger? A first year?"

"Yes, I believe she is a very talented young witch."

"Very well Severus, I'll go fetch her." Minerva left her office giving Severus one last look as if to say 'I want to hear the whole story' and returned 5 minutes later with the bushy-haired girl. Minerva gestured for the girl to take a seat as she took her own and Severus moved to stand beside her.

"Miss. Granger, did you or did you not set Professor Quirrell's robes alight during the Quidditch match today?" Severus asked.

The girl turned bright red and began to fidget on her chair.

"Miss. Granger," Minerva warned.

"He was jinxing Harry's broom! We had to do something!"

"We?"

"Erm… well, I… I…"

"Miss. Granger, you and your cohorts may very well have saved my Ward's life. I would like to know the full story so that I can deal with the perpetrator swiftly and thoroughly. You will not be punished for helping Mr. Potter."

"Teddy Nott sent me a note saying Professor Quirrell was cursing Harry's broom and asked me to, well, to conjure my blue flame. He met me at the teachers stand and helped me up so I could reach his robes. Sir, how did you know it was me?"

"Something Mr. Potter didn't say when he burnt his hands earlier this week. What made you believe Mr. Nott?"

"He burnt his hands?"

"Yes, now answer the question please Miss. Granger." Severus said, crossing his arms for effect.

"Oh, yes of course Sir. Well, after I read the note I saw the concern in his expression and I looked over to Professor Quirrell and he was chanting and staring at Harry. He wasn't blinking Sir."

"Very well Miss. Granger, thank you for your assistance." Severus nodded at Minerva and took his leave, knowing Minerva would question the girl further about her conjuring ability.

Severus strode through the halls, making his way quickly up to the Headmaster's office. Uttering the ridiculous password, Severus entered and took a seat without being asked, declining the offer of a lemon drop.

"It was that stuttering idiot Quirrell." Severus spat.

"I beg your pardon Severus?"

"I have two eye-witnesses who saw Quirrell cursing Harry's broom during the match. It stopped when his robes caught alight."

"I see. But why would Quirinus curse Harry's broom?"

"That I do not know, but action must be taken immediately." Severus said, raising his chin in a defiant gesture.

"We need more evidence Severus."

"Albus-"

"Severus please, try to keep a level head. Keep an eye on him, by all means, but we need something more definite before I can act. We cannot falsely accuse Quirinus of wrong-doing without good reason my boy." Albus gave him a pointed look and Severus acquiesced - for the moment. He stood and turned to leave, deciding that he would make it clear to the stuttering fool that he was under suspicion.

"Oh and Severus, congratulations on the match." Albus said as Severus reached the door. He nodded in acceptance before leaving the office in search of Quirrell.

_Next Chapter - Christmas_


	15. Chapter 15 - Christmas

_**A/N: **Sorry for the slight delay in uploading, I had a minor crisis where my water pipe burst over the weekend and flooded my kitchen and part of my living room. But anyways, back to more important stuff... here's a happy fluffy Harry Christmas for ya!_

Chapter 15 - Christmas

Severus had not been able to pin anything of significance on Quirrell, but the man was acutely aware of the fact that Severus was onto him. It had been very satisfying to see the stuttering idiot squirm uncomfortably when he had pinned him up against the wall that night. Magic was great, but sometimes there was nothing more satisfying than watching someone cower at the threat of physical violence. Today was Friday, and so far Harry had managed to stay out of trouble for three weeks - a personal best for him. He had noticed however, that the boy was increasingly agitated and wondered how long it would be before the boy lost his temper again. It was time to start talking to him about how his abysmal relatives had treated him, hopefully it would release some of the child's pent up anger. And so, when he heard a tentative knock on his office door at 6.55pm, he took a deep breath and told himself to stay calm no matter what the boy said or did, then bid the child to enter.

Severus took Harry through to his private quarters - as he had done every Friday for the last few weeks - and allowed the boy to settle in his spot on the sofa, and yes, Severus was aware that he now referred to the spot as belonging to the messy-haired little tyke. After a few minutes discussing his week and his progress in his studies, Severus decided it was time to broach the subject, no matter how reluctant they both were to do so.

"Is there anything you're going to miss about not going back to your relatives for Christmas Harry?" Severus asked, trying to enter the topic gradually instead of taking the direct approach, which he hoped would be less intimidating for the boy.

"No Sir, nothing to miss."

"No friends in Surrey?"

"No Sir, I was never allowed any friends." Severus ground his jaw at the matter-of-fact way Harry had made the statement.

"You weren't allowed friends?"

"No Sir."

"Why?"

"Dudley didn't like it Sir. Whenever anyone tried to talk to me he would either threaten them or tell them, tell them bad stuff about me. You know, so they wouldn't want to be my friend."

"You must have been very lonely at times." Severus said much more calmly than he felt.

Harry nodded in assent but did not comment further.

"Did Dudley ever play with you, or let you play with him?"

Harry snorted, and Severus knew he wasn't going to like what the boy said next.

"Only when they played Harry hunting, and I didn't like that game."

"Explain that to me."

"I would run, and they would chase me." Severus gave him a pointed look when he didn't immediately continue, Harry saw the look and sighed before continuing.

"When they caught me, they hit me. I climbed a tree once but they started throwing stones at me... and that really hurt. I could always outrun Dudley 'cos he was so fat, but his friends always caught me and waited 'til Dudders caught up. Or they just grabbed their bikes, I couldn't outrun them when they were on bikes."

Severus was quiet for a few moments as he took in the information and watched as Harry brought his mug of hot chocolate to his lips, took a small swig, then lowered it back in to his lap carefully.

"Were your Aunt and Uncle aware of how Dudley treated you?" Severus was confident he already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from Harry himself.

"Course they did, they congratulated him! Except one time..." Harry trailed off, and Severus knew he had to push on.

"What happened Harry?" Severus asked softly.

Harry shook his head and held himself stiffly on the sofa. Severus stood slowly and moved to sit beside the tiny child. He turned his body slightly so that he was angled towards Harry, then, after a moment's hesitation, rested his hand on Harry's knee.

"Please child, tell me what happened." Harry gave a small sniffle before replying.

"One time, I didn't get caught. Dudley told Uncle Vernon I cheated at the game, and that I stole his bike. I never did though. Uncle Vernon went mad, said I was a thief and a liar and a freak. Said he would beat the nastiness out of me." Harry said all this whilst staring at his mug in his lap. Severus could see the boy was getting upset and carefully took the mug from the child's tiny hands and put it on the coffee table.

"Did he beat you?"

Harry nodded, then swiped at his eyes.

"With a belt?"

Another nod.

"You know he was very wrong to do that Harry. You didn't deserve that, any of it."

Harry moved to put his arms around himself and Severus realised what he needed to do. He moved closer and put his arm around the child's shoulder and was relieved when, after a few moments, Harry leaned into him and accepted the comfort that was offered.

"Where was your Aunt when this happened Harry?" He could just imagine her turning a blind eye to this, she probably never said a word against how that monster had treated Harry.

"She was holding me down." The child whispered.

Severus wanted to vomit. Instead he swept the child up and rested him on his lap, embracing the child protectively. The urge to inflict violence on anyone who even thought about harming Harry was bubbling up inside him and he took deep breaths to try and calm himself as he held on to the now teary child. . _No more, no more. How could any human being do that? He should go back there and bloody well crucio those- no, he would be no good to Harry in Azkaban._ Severus continued to hold the boy as he quietly cried himself to sleep, and even then, he did not let go of the child for a long time after that.

Eventually, Severus released the boy and laid him gently on the sofa. He removed Harry's shoes and loosened his shirt before covering the child in his blanket. He knelt down and carded his hand gently through the boy's hair for a minute or so, before leaning over and placing a chaste kiss on his temple. "Goodnight Harry." He whispered, then stood and took his seat in the armchair across from him. There was no way he was calm enough to sleep, so he settled back with a book and worked on his occlumency exercises to clear his mind and calm him down.

OoOo

Harry awoke feeling well rested. Last night had been both horrible and good. Horrible for having to relive the beating he had taken, but good because well, it felt so good to have strong arms around him, protecting him, comforting him. He had felt... safe... cared for. He had been feeling a lot more at ease in the Professor's presence over the past weeks, it was almost relaxing talking to him about his week and being able to unload some of the trivial stresses he had. The man was still strict and stern in classes but Harry didn't mind.

Teddy had told him what had happened at the Quidditch match and Harry held onto the hope that Draco would come round and see Hermione for the witch she was instead of her blood status. He had asked Draco not to say 'mud blood' around him and Draco had reluctantly agreed. At least it was a step in the right direction, Harry mused. Harry's thoughts drifted towards the upcoming holiday and he smiled to himself as he realised he would not be spending it at the Dursleys. No slaving away for hours to get the dinner ready while Dudley ripped apart his many presents and gloating over the fact that Harry hadn't received any. Then having to watch from the kitchen as they all hungrily devoured the meal he had made before he set about doing the washing up then hopefully - depending on their mood - he might get some of the cold leftovers. This year would be different, this year there would be none of that, which reminded him, he still needed to finish making his gifts to his friends. He stood gingerly and padded into the bathroom quietly to take care of business and get himself ready for the day. His friends were all going home for the Christmas break today and he was going to share one last breakfast with them before accompanying them down to the platform and waving them off. He was a little disappointed that all of his friends were going home and he would be alone in the dorm, but it was still a hell of a lot better than going back to the Dursleys.

Harry trudged back up to the Castle holding the bundle of cloth tightly in his arms, feeling immensely proud of himself. Inside the bundle were all his Christmas presents for everyone, he would need to ask Professor Snape for some wrapping paper for them all and then the fun part would begin; trying to wrap Draco's present would be difficult - after all, how exactly did you wrap up a wooden dragon? Snape's had been the most complicated to do, but thankfully it would be the easiest to wrap. Harry deposited his bundle in his trunk before heading back out to Snape's office.

"Good afternoon Harry." Snape greeted him warmly, putting aside a pile of essays.

"Good afternoon Sir." Harry replied, sitting down in the chair in front of Snape's desk.

"I'm glad you're here Harry, I have something I'd like to ask you."

"Oh, me too." Harry smiled, then faltered when he saw Snape's serious expression.

"Well then by all means, continue."

"Oh, erm, I was wondering if you had any spare wrapping paper for my friends presents Sir." Harry blushed at Snape's raised eyebrow.

"I'm sure I can find some, was that all?"

"Erm, yes Sir, thanks."

"Alright, now, speaking of your friends, I'm aware that they have all gone home for Christmas and that you are alone in your room. As such, I was wondering if you would like to stay with me in my quarters for the duration of the holiday."

"Really?" Harry asked excitedly, instantly thinking of mugs of hot chocolate and having a grown-up actually wanting him around for the first time ever, maybe he could even get another hug!

"I take it from the fact that you are practically bouncing in your seat you like the idea?"

"Yes Sir!" Harry exclaimed, smiling broadly.

"Alright, bring your things down after dinner tonight." Snape said, looking quite happy himself.

"Yes Sir!" Harry practically jumped up from the chair and bounded from the room happily.

OoOo

Severus chuckled to himself as the boy left, shaking his head at the boy's antics. He had been slightly apprehensive about asking the child and felt relieved when Harry had said yes with such enthusiasm. He had originally thought of returning home for the holidays but Poppy needed quite a few potions brewing for her stores and in the end he figured it would probably be more comfortable for Harry to be in familiar surroundings whilst getting used to being in each others company for an extended period. They had made a lot of progress recently and Severus hoped this holiday would bring them much closer together.

Severus finished his marking then made his way back to his quarters to finish making the spare room ready for the boy. He had used it as a storeroom for years and it had taken him longer than expected to clear it out and air it properly. It wasn't a large room, but it was spacious enough to hold a bed, wardrobe, chest of drawers and a desk without it looking cluttered. Putting the final touches in place, Severus looked around and nodded to himself in satisfaction before going to his own room to wrap Harry's presents and ensure there was plenty for Harry to wrap his own presents. He was intrigued as to what the boy had done for his friends, remembering with fondness the stirrer Harry had carved for him. No doubt the boy had put his talents into carving things for his friends.

After dinner Severus stood in the common room and watched as Harry dragged his trunk over to him. The boy seemed to be struggling with it a little so Severus took it from him and led Harry through the connecting door into his quarters. He opened the door to Harry's new room and gestured for the boy to enter.

"Alright?" Severus asked a little nervously.

"Yes Sir, it's great!" Harry said happily, then grabbed his trunk and dragged it into the room.

"Well I'll leave you to settle in. Maybe later you could show me what you've got for your friends?"

Harry nodded happily at him, grinning widely. Severus gave him a brief smile before closing the door softly and going into the living room, settling down in his armchair with a book.

Half an hour later, Harry came into the living room still smiling with a number of objects cradled in his arms. Severus watched as Harry set them down clumsily on the sofa, then picked one up and turned to show him. It was of an Owl standing on a branch, and Severus could see the intricately detailed feather pattern and well formed features of its head and face.

"This is for Teddy, 'cos he likes Owls, they're his favourite animal." Harry said proudly.

"I'm sure he'll love it Harry." Severus replied, smiling despite himself when he saw the boy's smile widen at the praise.

"And this is for Draco, 'cos that's what his name means." Harry said, holding up an even more impressive and detailed carving of a dragon with its wings spread wide.

Severus reached out and took the carving from Harry's tiny hands, examining it with wonder.

"This is exquisite Harry, you have a truly brilliant gift here." Severus remarked in a soft voice, completely awed. He gave the dragon back and noticed Harry had a number of small nicks and cuts on his hands. Before he could comment, Harry had returned the dragon to the sofa and now stood holding a long circular piece of wood which appeared to be hollow.

"This is a flute for Hagrid, his harmonica sounds a bit off and well, I thought a flute would sound better, you know, softer or something."

Severus smiled knowingly, Hagrid's harmonica sounded like nails down a chalkboard to him.

"Good thinking Harry, very good."

Harry smiled back at him, beaming with pride.

"Well, I guess you had better get them wrapped up, here's the wrapping paper." Severus said, reaching beside his chair and producing a roll of forest green paper and some twine.

"Thank you Sir." Harry said, taking them from him and settling down to begin wrapping.

Severus brought Harry a mug of hot chocolate and smiled ruefully as the child struggled to wrap his gifts.

"Here, let me help." Severus said, moving to sit beside Harry and taking control of the twine, directing Harry as to how to better wrap the complicated shapes. Once finished, Harry gave him a grateful 'thanks' and went to put the presents back in his room.

"Sir?" Harry asked hesitantly on the threshold to the living room.

"Yes Harry?"

"Can I keep some of the paper and twine, I have one more to wrap, but…" Harry trailed off nervously.

"Yes child, of course." Severus answered, sparing Harry an awkward excuse.

"Thanks." Harry replied gratefully, then hurried off back to his room, re-emerging moments later to gather the paper and twine and take that back to his room too. Upon re-entering the living room, Harry gave him a sheepish smile and settled himself on the sofa, picking up his still steaming mug and sighing contentedly to himself after taking a large sip. They spent a while in companionable silence before Severus realised Harry seemed to be getting a little restless and so challenged him to a game of chess. Harry accepted gratefully and so Severus brought out his old wizard chess set and they spent a couple of hours playing. Harry wasn't very good, but with a little coaching from Severus, the boy's game improved a little. He was nowhere near Severus' standard of course, and Severus made allowances so the games didn't end too quickly. Despite this, Severus found he actually enjoyed playing with the boy, and resolved to do this more often.

OoOo

Harry spent the next couple of days contentedly, watching Snape brew potions for Madame Pomfrey, helping him with some of the easier stages and preparing ingredients for them. Snape had talked through some of the stages and explained why certain ingredients were used in different circumstances and Harry found himself understanding potions much more because of it. When he wasn't helping Snape, he had taken the opportunity to go flying despite the chilly December air. He had also completed some of his holiday essays after Snape had non too subtly 'encouraged' him to do a little each day, though Harry didn't really mind, it was nice to have a grown-up care about how well he did at school.

By the time Christmas Eve arrived, Harry was practically humming with excitement. He wasn't expecting much in the way of presents - he had never had any really - but he had a feeling Snape would get him something. Harry sat in the Great Hall eating his breakfast with the other ten or so students that were also staying over the holidays and gazed around at the decorations and enormous Christmas tree with amazement. No matter how many times Harry saw it he still couldn't help being awestruck by its grandeur. Most of the other students were upper years, but Harry noticed Ron Weasley and his brothers across the table. Not wanting to be cooped up all day and having too much excited energy, Harry approached Ron as they left the hall and greeted him shyly.

"Hey, erm, do you fancy playing outside for a bit?" Harry asked Ron.

"Outside?"

"Yeah, it's been snowing pretty good and we could make snowmen or something."

After a few moments Ron gave Harry a suspicious look and Harry met his gaze as innocently as he could.

"Yeah ok, I'll get my coat. Meet you at the entrance in ten minutes?"

"Cool, ok." Harry smiled.

He knew the rest of the Houses were suspicious of Slytherins so he shrugged off the suspicious look Ron had given him and went to get his warm coat and gloves, letting Snape know where he was going and rolling his eyes when he'd been told to 'wrap up warm'.

Harry spent the morning outside with Ron, after building a snowman and a snowdog they had had a friendly snowball fight before returning to the Castle red-faced and shivering slightly for lunch. Harry sat with Ron and they talked amicably to each other about Quidditch, Ron knew a lot about the game and told Harry all about the different professional teams and some of the players and their 'trademark moves' as well as what the best racing broom was. Harry liked the sound of it - a Nimbus 2000 - it even sounded fast!

Harry spent the afternoon with Ron and his twin brothers - Fred and George - showing him some of their joke sweets and playing exploding snap. After dinner, Harry made his way back to Snape's quarters feeling rather worn out but very happy. This was the best Christmas ever, and it wasn't even Christmas day yet! Harry entered the living room with his coat over his arm and saw that Snape was sat in his usual chair reading with a blazing fire crackling away filling the room with a comforting warmth.

"Bath time young man." Snape said, closing his book.

"Yes Sir." Harry replied, hanging his coat up on the hanger in the doorway. He didn't really mind taking a bath, it would be good to warm up and soothe his slightly aching muscles.

After his bath Harry came back into the living room and took his usual seat, smiling happily when he noticed the steaming mug of hot chocolate on the coffee table waiting for him.

"Good day?" Snape asked, breaking the silence.

Harry smiled broadly at him before replying, talking animatedly about his day and carefully omitting some of the more mischievous of the twins' jokes. They settled into companionable silence again while Harry drained his mug, watching the flickering flames of the fire and steadily relaxing. Snape must have been watching him because no sooner had Harry drained his mug than Snape announced that it was time for bed. Harry couldn't help the small scowl that crossed his features; _surely it wasn't that late already! _

"You've had a long day today Harry, and tomorrow will be even longer I dare say. You don't want to be tired tomorrow do you?"

Harry let out a defeated sigh before replying with an 'ok sir' and trudging off to bed reluctantly. Despite Harry's earlier excitement and the early bedtime, he was snuggled up comfortably and drifting off into blissful slumber within minutes, dreaming of potions and Quidditch and Christmas trees.

OoOo

Harry awoke on Christmas morning feeling extremely giddy and he couldn't help a small squeal of joy when he spotted a small stocking hanging on the post at the end of his bed. Scrambling out from under the covers he grabbed the stocking and stared at it in wonder for a few moments, revelling in the feeling of sheer delight. Reaching in carefully he pulled out the first object and grinned at the box of bertie bots every flavour beans, setting them aside he reached in again and pulled out the second object – exploding snap! _Awesome!_ The third and final present was a box of fizzing whizbees. Harry grinned widely; apart from having a couple of Zabini's sweets that one time, he had never had sweets before as the Dursleys said he didn't deserve them, and he couldn't afford to waste his money buying his own. _Christmas was great!_

Harry was interrupted from his musings by Snape knocking lightly on the door before opening it.

"I see you've found your stocking. Merry Christmas Harry." Snape said warmly.

Harry grinned up at his guardian, "Merry Christmas Sir."

"Put on your dressing gown and slippers and let's go see what's under the tree." Snape intoned then disappeared from the doorway. Harry scrambled down off the bed and hastily wrapped his dressing gown round him and shoved his feet into his slippers as he hopped across the room. Realising a more urgent need, Harry quickly took care of business in the bathroom then joined his guardian in the living room where he spotted a number of presents under the small Christmas tree he and Snape had decorated together. Snape sat in his usual armchair with a steaming mug beside him smiling slightly at Harry.

"I'll let you do the honours Harry." Snape said, gesturing towards the gifts.

"Yes Sir!" Harry exclaimed, kneeling down to pick up the first gift.

It was addressed to him from Draco. Carefully, Harry peeled off the wrapping and stared in awe. It was a beautiful black leather wand holster.

"Look what Draco got me!" Harry practically shouted, holding up the proffered object for Snape to see.

"That's very thoughtful of him and will definitely come in handy. You'll need to take good care of it."

"I will Sir."

Harry placed it down carefully, his fingers lingering on the smooth leather for a few moments before he shook himself and turned back to stack of presents. He withdrew the next and read the label.

"To Severus, from Minerva." Harry read, then handed the package to Snape.

Harry watched as Snape unwrapped the gift to reveal a book and Harry craned his neck to see the title; 'A guide to parenting the pre-teens'. Harry smiled in amusement, then schooled his face as best he could when he saw Snape's scowl.

"I saw that." Snape scowled, but Harry could tell he was more amused than angry. "Get another one."

Harry smiled again and picked up another package. They continued taking it in turns opening the presents until there was just one rather large and unusually shaped present left. Harry was about to reach out for it when he remembered his present for Snape – he had left it in his room.

"Oh! Hang on Sir!" Harry yelped, jumping up and running to his room before Snape could utter a word. He re-emerged moments later with the bulky package that was a foot tall and wide and three inches thick.

Snape took the package from him with a quizzical look, then carefully unwrapped it while Harry stood beside him. Snape stared at the carving, tracing his fingers over the ornately patterned Slytherin crest with a look of wonder. After what seemed like an age to Harry, Snape looked up and gave him a genuine smile that lit his whole face.

"Thank you Harry, I love it." Snape said, then opened his arms slightly and Harry took the hint. He stepped forward and allowed his guardian to embrace him warmly. Harry gave a contented sigh, enjoying the warmth that spread through his body as he hugged the man back eagerly.

"Come on, there's one more present." Snape said eventually, pulling back.

Harry smiled once more at Snape before turning and dragging the large package from under the tree. Harry unwrapped it then stared in amazement for a few moments before jumping up and bounding into Snape's arms once again. _A broom! And not just any broom, a Nimbus 2000! The newest, fastest, bestest broom in the world! And it was his!_

Harry could no longer contain his excitement and began jumping up and down as he spoke hurredly.

"Can we go out flying? Please? Please can we?"

"After breakfast you may go out for a little while."

"But you're coming right?"

Harry's face fell a little when Snape began to shake his head, then his inner Slytherin took over. Pouting slightly, Harry continued in a pleading voice, "But, what if I fall off, this broom is much faster than what I'm used to flying, and if you're not there and I fall, I could hurt myself and no-one would know and I'd be laying in the snow getting cold and unable to move and so... you've got to come flying with me, pleeeeaaasse?" Harry looked up through his fringe with his best 'puppy dog' expression.

"My little Slytherin." Snape said with a raised eyebrow. "Fine. But _after _breakfast."

"Yes!" Harry shouted victoriously, giving him one last quick hug before running off to get dressed in record time.

"Harry! Take your presents back to your room!" Snape called loudly.

Harry came back giving Snape a sheepish smile and gathered up his presents; in addition to his wand holster from Draco, Teddy had given him a broom maintenance kit, Flint had got him a box of chocolate frogs and Snape had also given him his own set of woodcarving tools and a pair of fur-lined gloves.

Harry was dressed in record time and together he and Snape walked up to the Great Hall for breakfast. Harry downed his potion quickly and set about a bowl of porridge with gusto. Today, the staff sat with the handful of students and Harry found himself next to Snape.

"Slow down and eat properly Harry." Snape admonished quietly in his ear.

Realising he must look like a Neanderthal, Harry swallowed his mouthful and apologised, blushing as he looked around the table and found the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall looking at him, although their expressions seemed amused rather than annoyed.

"Someone looks like they're in a hurry today. You aren't making him wait until after breakfast to open his presents are you Severus?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Even I'm not that cruel Minerva." Snape answered.

"Professor Snape got me a Nimbus 2000! He's taking me flying after breakfast." Harry explained, smiling proudly.

"Oh did he now? You're going flying with him Severus?" The first question was aimed at Harry but he guessed he wasn't actually expected to answer, the second was aimed at Snape and Harry thought the Headmaster was teasing his guardian. Snape scowled back at the old man before replying, "the boy is too accident prone to fly unsupervised."

Harry scowled up at Snape in a decent imitation of the man's own trademark expression, then smiled when Snape turned to look at him and winked.

OoOo

_Flying with his guardian was awesome! _Snape wasn't as quick as Harry, and he didn't seem very comfortable in the air but never the less he flew with plenty of skill. They had spent a little while just flying around and letting Harry get used to his new broom before they had a few games of 'tag' – which Harry loved – and finally a race around the stadium, which of course, Harry won. Snape led them down, announcing it was time to get cleaned up in time for Christmas dinner in the Great Hall.

Harry dismounted and began following Snape back up to the Castle when he heard Hagrid calling his name. He turned and saw the great man bounding towards him.

"Hagrid!" Harry yelled, breaking into a run.

"Merry Christmas 'Arry!" Hagrid said, gathering Harry into a hug. "'Ere's yer present!"

Harry stepped back and took the gift from Hagrid.

"Thanks fer mi flute 'Arry, yer a good 'un lad."

Harry smiled as he tore off the plain brown wrapping paper, revealing a leather bound photo album. He turned the pages slowly, staring in awe at the various pictures presented to him.

"Now you got some pictures 'o 'yer parents, so's you know what they look like."

"Thank you Hagrid." Harry said sincerely, closing the photo album.

"Well, best be off wi 'yer. See you in t'Great Hall for dinner." Hagrid said, seeming a little uncomfortable.

"Ok, see you later Hagrid." Harry smiled, then toddled back over to where Snape stood waiting for him.

After having the best Christmas dinner ever, Harry had a couple of games of wizard chess with Ron while their dinner settled, then they spent the rest of the afternoon outside playing in the snow and telling each other about the presents they had received. They returned indoors as it began to get dark, their cheeks growing rosy as they re-entered the warmth. Bidding each other farewell, the two boys parted ways and Harry skipped along the corridor down to Snape's quarters, he had never been this happy in his entire life, today had been perfect in every way. He greeted Snape happily and sat down in his usual spot, noticing that the crest he had carved his guardian now hung proudly on the wall above the fireplace.

Snape gave him a mug of hot chocolate before they returned to the Great Hall for sandwiches which Harry was glad of as he was still pretty full from the massive dinner he had eaten. They then returned to the dungeons where Harry took a warm bath and afterwards Snape showed him how to use his broom maintenance kit and clean and polish his new broom. Harry was getting tired by ten o'clock and had to stifle a yawn – which Snape saw and promptly ordered him to bed.

"Just a little longer?" Harry pleaded, feeling completely at ease with his guardian now.

"I've indulged you enough today young man, time for bed. Go on, I'll be in shortly." Snape ushered him towards the bathroom.

Harry took care of business and returned to his room, hung up his dressing gown and climbed into bed tiredly. Snape came in not a minute later and tucked the covers up under his chin, ruffling his hair affectionately.

"Good night Harry, merry Christmas."

"Night Dad." Harry murmured sleepily, completely unaware of what he had said and totally oblivious to the shocked stare his guardian gave him. He succumbed to sleep almost instantly, a certain Potions Master however, did not.

_Next Chapter – All for one, and one for all._


	16. Chapter 16 - All for one and one for all

_**A/N:** Urgh! RL sucks sometimes! Sorry for the delay everyone, but here it is, I hope you all like it. Enjoy!_

Chapter 16 – All for one, and one for all

Severus stumbled from the child's room and collapsed heavily in his armchair. He knew they had been growing closer and that Harry trusted him much more now – _but were they anywhere near Dad? Did Harry really think of him like that? Never even in his wildest dreams had he ever thought someone would refer to him as 'Dad', and yet Harry Potter, the son of his childhood bully, had called him Dad. Was he good enough? Could he be a good father? He wasn't even a nice person, never mind someone capable of raising a child properly!_ Severus took a few deep breaths to quell the rising panic within him. _Harry had been half asleep when he said it, he probably didn't even realise and would not recall it in the morning – but he had still said it. That meant that Harry really did think of him as a father, didn't it?_

Severus was pulled rather violently from his racing thoughts when his floo flared to life and Albus and Minerva appeared in the green flames.

"Severus! We didn't expect you to come to the staff room for our Christmas drink, not with young Harry in your quarters, so we decided to bring the celebrations to you! Is Harry in bed yet?" Albus said cheerfully.

"Yes he is." Severus replied quietly, turning to stare briefly at the boy's bedroom door. He, Albus and Minerva had always enjoyed a Christmas drink together on Christmas night, and Severus decided that right now he needed that drink to help calm him down. He stood shakily and drew his wand, warding the boy's door so that they wouldn't wake him with their noise. Albus and Minerva came through the floo and made themselves comfortable on his sofa while he sank back down in his armchair.

"Something wrong Severus? You look like you've seen a ghost? And not a Hogwarts ghost either." Albus asked, suddenly concerned at seeing his Potions Master looking visibly shaken.

"I need a drink." Severus stated, running a hand through his oily hair.

"Severus, what is it?" Minerva asked, handing him a glass of amber liquid.

Severus downed the firewhiskey, feeling the burn in his throat and the warmth spreading from his stomach.

"Harry, he... called me Dad." Severus said, swallowing the sudden lump in his throat. He looked at his colleagues, both of whom stared at him with their mouths slightly open for a few moments before they both erupted with glee, clapping their hands together and grinning broadly.

"Wonderful!" Albus declared.

Minerva sensed his unease and picked up the bottle of firewhiskey, holding it out and refilling Severus glass. Severus took another long drink whilst his companions waited quietly.

"It's alright to be a little... unsettled, Severus. But this is a good thing, isn't it?" Minerva said sympathetically.

"Severus, he trusts you. For the first time in his life he has an adult who cares for him, who he can rely on and someone he can look up to." Albus explained.

"Look up to? An ex-Death Eater spy whom everyone hates because I'm a mean and nasty greasy git?"

"Harry doesn't think so."

"Harry's a child."

"A child who mistrusts adults and has, up until now, not had a childhood. You are doing a fantastic job Severus, Harry looks so happy nowadays and it's because of you. We all saw how excited he was this morning – it wasn't simply that he was going flying, it was that he was going flying _with you_. You should have more faith in yourself my boy."

The room fell silent as Albus and Minerva gave Severus time to come to terms with what had been said. Minerva looked around the living room, looking for something to lighten the mood. Noticing the Slytherin crest above the fireplace and knowing that it wasn't there last year, she decided it was as good a topic as any to bring up to hopefully drag Severus out of his self-depreciating musings. She stood and walked the few paces across the room so she could get a better look at the wooden crest before speaking.

"This is a wondrous piece of craftsmanship Severus, wherever did you get it?"

Severus looked up abruptly, his features softened when he realised what Minerva was admiring.

"Harry made it for me for Christmas." He said softly, a hint of pride in his voice.

"He... made it?" Minerva asked, puzzled.

"Yes, he has a talent for woodcarving. He carved presents for all his friends."

Albus stood and moved to stand beside Minerva so that he too could examine the crest more closely.

"You should be very proud of your boy Severus." Albus said almost dreamily, smiling when he saw Severus' slight scowl at his words.

"Well, I believe that time has run away from us yet again, we shall bid you goodnight Severus, sleep well. And do keep in mind what we said earlier, you really shouldn't think so poorly of yourself."

Without waiting for an answer, Minerva and Albus stepped through the floo, leaving Severus alone with his thoughts – and half a bottle of firewhiskey.

The following day it became clear that Harry indeed did not recall calling him 'Dad', he did however, seem completely at ease around Severus as he sat down for breakfast greeting him with a cheery 'morning Sir'.

"What are you doing today Sir?" Harry asked him between mouthfuls of porridge.

"I have a couple of healing potions to brew this morning, which reminds me..." Severus brought out his wand and whispered an incantation whilst running his wand over the boy's stilled hands clutching his bowl. The nicks he had seen yesterday and subsequently forgotten about had caught his attention once more and he decided to heal them straight away. Harry stared at his hands in amazement, turning them over slowly to inspect the now unblemished skin.

"Thank you Sir!" Harry exclaimed happily, before turning back to his porridge.

"Sir, you said you were brewing this morning?" Harry asked once he had finished his porridge.

"I did."

"Can I help?" Harry said pleadingly.

"If you must." Severus said, but the smile on his face gave him away. He couldn't help it, it felt good to have someone want to be in his company, and the boy was a very useful little helper too. Harry grinned back at him gratefully before taking a large sip of his milk.

The rest of the holidays went quickly; Harry would ask if he could help him brew for a few hours, then he would go off and play with the Gryffindor boys for a few hours (which Severus knew would come back to bite him one day - but there was nobody else the boy could spend time with in the castle and so he couldn't really say no), and in the evenings they would either play chess or spend some time reading. Harry would tell him about his day and occasionally ask questions about the material he was reading, or what Severus had been 'up to' and before either of them knew it, term was starting again. Harry had not referred to Severus as 'Dad' again and Severus had decided not to dwell on it, if Harry thought him good enough to be his father, then he would just have to make sure he did his best by the boy, if not, then that was... fine, it was fine, it would take time. There was no need to rush into things, after all.

OoOo

January came around thick and fast, the Castle soon bustled with the throng of students returning from their holidays and Harry found himself back in his dorm room with his friends. Harry found himself missing the peace and quiet of his guardian's quarters and the freedom of being able to roam the Castle without having to push through hordes of noisy students in the corridors. His friends had thanked him enthusiastically for their presents he had made and he had likewise returned the gratitude for his gifts.

They were a week into the new term when things started to go downhill for Harry. Their next Quidditch match was against Ravenclaw, and someone had let slip that Harry was now the proud owner of a Nimbus 2000. Flint had been practically crying with joy at seeing his star seeker on the fastest broom available, whilst the Ravenclaw's as a whole had decided they would do everything in their power to make Harry miserable. It had started with a few shoves as they passed him in the corridor, which then escalated to name-calling and dirty looks everywhere he went. Teddy and Draco had taken to flanking him on each side to reduce the amount of shoving in the corridors but the attempt was in vain as the older students just shoved one of them even harder so they would fall into Harry, knocking them all to the floor more often than not. Harry had thanked them for trying but didn't want to see them hurt and so took to walking on an outer flank again. Some of the older Slytherin's caught wind of the bullying and made a point of walking with the boys between classes whenever they could, but it still left them exposed much of the time.

It was in Transfiguration on Tuesday of the third week when Harry finally snapped. They were working on turning goblets into plates when a small piece of parchment hit Harry in the face. He grabbed at it and unfolded the parchment wearily.

'_Potter, we know about you. Letting muggles beat you. If you play on Saturday we're going to let everyone know at the match just how strong the-boy-who-lived really is.'_

Harry saw red; _this was the last straw! _He whirled round in his seat, scanning the classroom for Ravenclaw students and found a boy staring at him smirking evilly. Without any further thought, Harry rose from his seat and stalked over to the smirking boy, clenching his fists by his side.

"Was this you?" Harry spat angrily, thrusting the now scrunched up parchment out towards the boy

"Mr. Potter! Re-take your seat immediately!" McGonagall commanded.

"Was it?" Harry snarled loudly, ignoring the Professor.

The boy grinned and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, as if to say 'so what?' Harry grabbed the boy by the front of his robes and pulled him from his seat, then shoved him roughly to the floor. A strong arm grabbed him and spun him round quickly, bringing him face to face with a very angry Professor McGonagall.

"You will calm yourself this instant Mr. Potter!" McGonagall said sternly.

Harry took a few breaths but the anger inside him flared up when he heard snickering behind him and he whirled round and glared at the boy who now stood looking smug.

"I'll kill you!" Harry shouted, lunging at the boy and barrelling into him, sending them both to the floor. Strong arms grasped him and pulled him back to his feet, then he found himself being propelled out of the classroom and into what must have been McGonagall's office. He was dumped unceremoniously into a small wooden chair and before he could protest, McGonagall drew her wand and muttered an incantation.

"You will stay here and calm down, Mr. Potter. When I return, we will be contacting your Head of House, and you will be serving detention with me tonight. 20 points from Slytherin."

McGonagall swept out of the room in a huff, leaving Harry sat in a furious rage. _How dare they try to blackmail him! He knew they would do pretty much anything for points, but this went too far even for them! No way was he sitting here any longer._ Harry went to stand and found to his horror that he was stuck to the seat. He panicked momentarily before remembering McGonagall had waved her wand at him and must have stuck him to the chair. _How dare she stick him to the effing chair! This was ridiculous! Well, if she thought he was just going to sit here she was sadly mistaken!_ Harry looked around the immaculately clean and organised office, dismayed at the lack of objects within his reach that he could throw and destroy. Then a thought occurred to him and he smiled broadly, taking his wand from its holster (thank you Draco!), his eyes rested on an expensive looking silver tea service.

"Wingardium leviosa!" Harry intoned, watching gleefully as the tea service rose into the air.

Just as he was about to send it flying into the wall, the image of his guardian floated unbidden into his mind. _I'll be in so much trouble! He'll be angry at me, really angry! It's one thing to lose my temper with a student, but to trash a teacher's things... I'd hate it if anyone broke my stuff. _With a resigned sigh, Harry levitated the tea service back to its place on the desk and put his wand away. He huffed in frustration and ran a hand through his already messy hair. _Damn Ravenclaws! They were going to mess everything up! Either he didn't play and they lost and his whole house would blame him, or play and have the whole school find out about his relatives. It was so unfair!_

Harry was still seething when Professor McGonagall came back into her office at the end of the lesson, which was probably only about ten minutes later, but Harry hadn't taken any notice of the time so it could have been longer.

"Right Mr. Potter, would you like to tell me what that was all about?" She said, crossing her arms across her chest and looking at him sternly.

"No Ma'am." Harry replied, mimicking her by crossing his own arms.

She let out a small sigh then turned to her fireplace and activated the floo. Her voice was muffled as she spoke into the green flames and a few moments later Professor Snape stepped through gracefully, his robes billowing behind him and a scowl adorning his face.

"Professor McGonagall?" Snape said questioningly, raising an eyebrow.

"Mr. Potter attacked another student during my lesson today and he refuses to give a reason for his outburst."

"Did he now," Snape answered, then turned to glare angrily at Harry.

Harry shrunk back on his seat slightly, Snape looked _really _intimidating.

"I believe you owe us an explanation Mr. Potter. Now." Snape growled, also crossing his arms. Harry looked between the two teachers who were both staring down at him sternly and suddenly felt a new anger rising inside him.

"That's my business, not yours!" Harry shouted at them.

"Mr. Potter! You will calm yourself this instant!"

Harry glared back at them, sticking his chin out in an act of defiance. _They couldn't help, even if they wanted to. What the hell did grown-ups know anyway?_

"Mr. Potter, I will not tolerate this impertinence from you. Now you either tell us the reason for your outburst or you will be writing lines every night for a week." Snape said in a low and menacing voice.

Harry stared at him, some of the anger dissipating, then his eyes found McGonagall and he became unsure of himself. He sort of wanted to talk to Snape, but he definitely wasn't going to say anything in front of _her._ Then he remembered the parchment and realised he didn't have to actually _say _anything. He reached into his robes and pulled out the crumpled parchment and held it out to Snape with a slightly shaking hand. Snape gave him a quizzical look as he took the parchment, his expression grew thunderous as he read the note. Without any further explanation he spun on his heel and stormed over to the fireplace, activating the floo.

"Filius Flitwick!" Snape growled angrily. On hearing the reply, Snape stepped through and disappeared, leaving Harry alone with one very cross Professor McGonagall. Harry shuffled a little on the chair, his bum was starting to ache. Time seemed to drag on slowly, he could feel Professor McGonagall staring at him but he kept his head down, making it clear to her that he didn't want to talk. After what seemed like an Age Snape stepped back through the floo still looking decidedly angry.

"Professor McGonagall, if you're finished with Mr. Potter I will escort him back to his common room." Snape said coolly, giving nothing away.

"Yes Professor Snape, of course." She replied, then turned to face Harry, "7pm tonight in my classroom young man."

"Yes Ma'am." Harry said, hopping down from the chair and allowing Snape to lead him out. They walked in silence down to the dungeons and as they got close to Snape's office, Harry felt the man's hand on his shoulder guiding him in that direction instead of towards the common room. _Great, he's going to want to discuss it._ Harry was in no mood to talk about what had been happening with the Ravenclaws in the build up to the match.

"Sit." Snape commanded, pointing to the chair in front of his desk.

Harry complied quickly but kept his head down, he really didn't want to talk about this.

"I take it this isn't a single incident?" Snape asked. Harry shook his head.

"H-a-r-r-y..." Snape warned, Harry sighed and looked up.

"They've just been, you know, just saying stuff 'n shoving me in the corridors." Harry said with a shrug.

"Why didn't you come and tell me?"

Harry resisted another shrug knowing Snape hated it.

"Didn't want to bother you with it Sir, it's no big deal."

"No big deal." Snape repeated slowly.

"If it wasn't a 'big deal' Harry, you wouldn't have lost your temper and attacked a student today."

"Yes Sir." Harry said dejectedly. _Why couldn't he go already?_

"Harry, I can't help you if I don't know there's a problem. We could have avoided all of this if you had come and told me when it first began, instead of allowing it to escalate. As it is, I have spoken to Professor Flitwick and together we will sort out this problem you are having with the Ravenclaws. Alright?"

"Yes Sir."

"Right, now, you have been very disrespectful towards Professor McGonagall today and so you are going to spend the time until dinner writing a letter of apology to her which you can take with you to her detention tonight."

"Yes Sir."

Harry finally looked up when Snape became silent and found the Professor watching him intently, making Harry feel suddenly nervous.

"Is there anything else you wish to tell me?"

"No Sir."

Snape sighed then brought out a piece of parchment and set it in front of Harry. Sighing in resignation, Harry reached into his book bag and brought out his quill and ink, setting to work on his letter of apology.

OoOo

The day of the match dawned cold but clear. The Ravenclaws had stopped pushing him and taunting him in the corridors, choosing to glare at him instead. Harry had managed to eat a little breakfast but as he stood waiting with his team-mates the feeling of nausea assaulted him. He took deep breaths to calm himself, knowing it was just pre-match nerves that had him so worked up. The anticipation grew steadily and just as he thought he couldn't take it any longer, Madam Hooch announced their team and out they went onto the pitch. Harry was so relieved to be up on his broom, breathing in the crisp fresh air and feeling the wind tug at his robes.

The game commenced and Harry soon found the Ravenclaws tactic was to try and knock him from his broom, the beaters kept sending the bludgers his way whilst their seeker barged him every chance he got. Harry had had enough after 10 minutes and realising that he had a much faster broom, took to flying round the stadium at full speed to escape the rough treatment. The Ravenclaws were so busy trying to unseat him that his team-mates had managed to build up an impressive 70 point lead by the time Harry finally spotted the snitch. Without further ado, Harry pointed his broom and sped off in hot pursuit, the Ravenclaw seeker saw this and chased after him, but Harry had a big lead on him and knew there was no chance the seeker would be able to keep up with him, let alone catch him. The snitch gave good chase, changing direction suddenly so that Harry had to concentrate more than ever before and after a few minutes of furious flying, Harry closed his fist around the snitch and whooped in triumph. The raucous cheering from the Slytherin stand was deafening and Harry loved it, swelling with pride he joined his team-mates and held up the snitch towards the cheering stand in salute.

Sunday afternoon was another clear if not chilly day and Harry found himself in need of fresh air and a bit of peace and quiet. The party in the common room yesterday had been an energetic and noisy affair that had lasted hours. Pulling on his lightweight jacket, Harry left Teddy and Draco playing chess and set off through the Castle and down towards the lake. Once there, Harry spent a few minutes breathing in the fresh air and skipping stones before he was joined by Hermione Granger who congratulated him on his win and then joined him in skipping stones. Their peaceful game was interrupted rather violently by a large group of Ravenclaws stalking towards them menacingly.

"Oi, Potter!" One of them shouted, causing Harry to jump back and swirl round to face the approaching group of about 10 students, many of them older than Harry. Instinctively, Harry drew his wand and held it tightly by his side. He didn't know many spells and probably wouldn't be able to do anything useful, but he still felt safer with it in his hand rather than up his sleeve.

"Not so tough without your Head of House here to protect you, are you?" One of the group spat.

Harry stared back at them, setting his jaw determinedly. Hermione had moved and stood beside him, her wand also in her hand.

"Harry, we should go, we can't fight them, there's too many." Hermione whispered.

Harry nodded and took a couple of paces backwards, Hermione doing the same.

"Oh no you don't Potter! Immobilus!" The spell hit Harry before he had chance to react.

"Get help!" Harry whispered to Hermione. He watched her turn and run with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach and just hoped she could get help before the Ravenclaws did any serious damage to him.

The Ravenclaws loomed over him, sneering and calling him names. They took his wand from him and shoved him to the floor roughly, one of them giving him a couple of painful kicks to his ribs and knocking the wind out of him. The spell wore off but before Harry could scramble to his feet one of the older boys grabbed him by the collar and pulled Harry close to his face.

"You stink Potter! I know, how about a little swim to freshen you up a bit?" In the next moment, Harry felt hands around his legs and he was pulled off his feet, being carried roughly by four boys down the small jetty by the lake.

"Lemmie go!" Harry shouted as he struggled against their increasingly tight grip on his arms and legs.

"Swing him in!" Harry craned his neck and saw that they were at the end of the jetty jutting out over the water.

"No!" Harry yelled, panicking.

The boys swung him back and forth a couple of times to build up momentum then counted to three and let him go. Harry rose into the air for a moment before plummeting down into the freezing cold water. He came up spluttering and thrashing his arms wildly in an attempt to swim. The Dursleys had never let him go to the swimming baths and so he had never learnt that particular skill, a skill which he sorely needed now. His head went under again and Harry thrashed wildly to get back to the surface. _He was going to drown!_

Reaching the surface once again, Harry sucked in a breath of much needed air then began moving his arms and kicking his legs in a desperate attempt to swim. Slowly, with much thrashing and spluttering, Harry managed to manoeuvre himself closer to the bank and was overwhelmed with relief when he felt his feet touch solid ground. He stood and took some deep breaths, realising just how much energy it had taken to get to the shore. The Ravenclaws were laughing loudly and pointing at him. Harry then realised that as soon as he stepped out of the water they would start in on him again and so he began to flail his arms as if he was still struggling to stay afloat. The water was freezing, but it was preferable to whatever they planned on doing to him, he just needed to hold out until help arrived. Thankfully, he did not have to wait long. A group of Slytherins led by Prefect Flint came bounding down the hill and Harry stepped forward out of the water in relief and retrieved his discarded wand. Flint wasted no time in accosting the snickering Ravenclaws and sent some well aimed hexes their way, along with the other members of his House. The Ravenclaws reacted too slowly as their attention had been focused more on Harry – and laughing at him – so it did not take long for the Slytherins to overpower the Ravenclaw bullies.

Flint stepped forward and grabbed the biggest boy (who was now staggering about dazed), slamming him up against a nearby tree and pinning him there.

"How dare you Davies! Ganging up on a first year! I ought to hex your arms off!" Flint growled, his face red with anger. The Ravenclaw – Davies – looked terrified of Flint and Harry stood shivering but relieved beyond measure that his House had come to rescue him.

"Anteoculatia!" Flint yelled, pointing his wand at Davies.

A moment later Harry watched amazed as Davies grew huge antlers and Flint stepped back to admire his handiwork, then he turned to the rest of the Ravenclaws and raised his chin.

"Anyone else?" He spat angrily.

There were a few murmured 'no's' and they all backed away looking worse for wear, many of them sporting small cuts and bruises. Harry approached Flint slowly, his trainers squelching with each step.

"Are you alright Harry?" Flint asked, looking down at him worriedly.

"Yeah, thank you for saving me." Harry answered, trying his best not to shiver.

"Any time Harry, we all stick to together in Slytherin, right?"

"Right." Harry answered, nodding his head to reinforce his words.

"Come on, we'd best get you back up to the Castle and into some dry clothes before you freeze." Flint said, taking in Harry's appearance with a concerned look.

"Okay. Thanks again." Harry set off walking with his House-mates back to the Castle, realising that his feet had gone numb and were becoming quite painful he concentrated on keeping the pain from his face and clenching his fingers to try and keep the circulation going in them.

"Maybe we should take you to see Madam Pomfrey." Flint mused.

"No I'm fine." Harry said quickly.

"Well, what about Professor Snape then?"

"No!" Harry said a little louder than he had intended, then ducked his head as his cheeks flamed.

"I mean, it's okay. If we told then he'd want to know the full story and I don't want anyone getting in trouble. I'm ok, really, I just need a hot shower and some dry clothes." Harry explained.

"Yeah I guess he would be pretty mad. But if you feel ill you'd better go see Madam Pomfrey, alright?" Flint said, feeling uneasy about Harry's health.

"Yes Captain Flint, I will."

Harry stood under the lukewarm water, which still felt a little too hot for his skin, but paid it no mind. _His house had come for him! They had saved him! _Harry smiled to himself, finally feeling like he truly belonged and that finally, he had good friends and people that cared about him. _Flint was like having a big brother looking out for him and sticking up for him against bullies, and Snape was kind of like a Dad in a way really – was it ok for him to think of Snape that way? Was he right? After all, he'd never had a Dad so he couldn't really say what having a Dad felt like. Well, if not, he still felt cared for, and protected and... happy, really, really happy._

_Next Chapter - Sick_


	17. Chapter 17 - Sick

_**A/N: For some reason I found this chapter quite difficult to write and had to re-do parts to get them to sound right. I'm still not sure I've got the tone 100% correct but I hope so. Thank you to everyone who reads and your reviews give me the motivation to keep going. **_

Chapter 17 – Sick

Harry awoke feeling extremely groggy and with a blocked nose on Monday morning. He had very rarely suffered from a cold in the past and when he had, he had dealt with it himself - mainly by allowing his immune system to kick in and waiting it out as best he could. He dressed slowly and headed for breakfast with his friends who were still talking excitedly about 'the Slytherin vs. Ravenclaw duel' as it was now known and everyone in Slytherin was justifiably proud of the fact that they had bettered the Ravenclaws.

The day went slowly for Harry, his head ached and his throat became scratchy, which hurt even more when he had begun coughing intermittently throughout the day. He was also feeling morose and his eyes had began to feel itchy and tired so it was no wonder that his friends - and Prefect Flint - had accosted him and made him promise to go see Madam Pomfrey as soon as classes had ended for the day.

The last class of the day happened to be Transfiguration and Harry's heart sank when Professor McGonagall began collecting in homework from everyone - _he had completely forgotten about it! _

"Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked pointedly, standing above him holding her hand out expectedly.

"Erm, I'm really sorry Professor but… I haven't done it." Harry said meekly, ignoring the sharp pain in his throat.

"Stay after class Mr. Potter."

"Yes Professor."

Harry tried his hardest to listen during class but nothing seemed to make any sense, it was as if the words were in a different language or something. It came as no surprise that he failed miserably when it came to the practical part of the lesson, as he hadn't grasped the theory behind it and he sat dejectedly when McGonagall gave him a disapproving glare after his fifth failed attempt. Finally, the lesson came to an end and the other students filed out, leaving Harry to face the stern Professor who had moved to stand in front of him.

"Right, Mr. Potter. You will stay here until you have completed your homework assignment to your usual standard - exceeds expectations. You may start now and return straight after dinner to complete it, understand?"

_Damn! He could barely concentrate as it was, how the hell was he going to be able to write anything to that standard?_

"Yes Professor." Harry said, thinking that this cold seemed worse than any other he could remember. He stifled a cough and took a few deep breaths to steady himself as stars danced in front of his eyes, then brought out a fresh piece of parchment and began his essay, this was going to be a long night.

It was almost 8pm and Harry had had to re-write his essay twice as Professor McGonagall had deemed his previous efforts 'still not up to your usual standard'. His head pounded and he was now struggling to breathe properly as his chest felt really tight, every muscle seemed to ache, which Harry thought might be because he kept shivering despite feeling quite hot.

"I've finished Professor." Harry said quietly, hoping his latest attempt was good enough. The Professor took his parchment and began reading it through while Harry sat quietly, stifling yet another cough.

"This is still only an 'acceptable' Mr. Potter, what is it that you are finding so difficult?" McGonagall asked, staring down at him over her half-rimmed glasses.

"I don't know Professor, I'm having trouble concentrating. I… I have a bit of a headache." Harry finished lamely.

"I see. Well in that case you had better go see Madam Pomfrey then get an early night. I will accept this essay, but if you fail to turn in your homework assignments in the future young man, you will be serving many more detentions and I will also speak to Professor Snape about your lack of diligence."

"Yes Professor, thank you." Harry kept his head down and stuffed his things in his book bag quickly, then slid down from his seat and made his way out of the classroom. He had intended to go to the Infirmary but he couldn't face the prospect of being scolded and prodded and made to drink disgusting tasting potions and having to stay in the Infirmary overnight. He hated staying in the Infirmary - it was too big and there were too many shadows and alcoves for it to be safe. He just needed a good night's sleep, he would feel better tomorrow. With the warmth and comfort of his bed firmly at the forefront of his mind, Harry trudged down to the dungeons dragging his heavy feet along the stone floor noisily.

He barely noticed anyone in the common room and made his way straight up to his dorm. He shrugged out of his robe and kicked his shoes off haphazardly before collapsing in a heap on his bed and pulling the covers over himself roughly.

"Harry! Wake up! You'll be late for breakfast!"

The voice was loud and shrill, too loud. It made his head feel like it was about to explode.

"Go 'way." Harry mumbled, refusing to open his eyes.

"Harry come on!"

"Why aren't you lot heading to breakfast?" _Was that Flint's voice? Flint would get rid of the loud voices for him._

"Prefect Flint, I think Harry's sick."

"Didn't he go see Madam Pomfrey last night?"

_Shut up will you, my head hurts!_ _And I ache everywhere!_

"I don't know, he was in detention with Professor McGonagall, then next time we saw him was about nine o'clock and he was already asleep."

_Ssshhhh, please._

He felt a cold hand on his forehead then someone was lightly shaking him. The movement made him feel like sicking up.

"Go 'way, leave me alone."

"Harry, you need to wake up, you're sick."

_Course I'm sick, stupid._

"Professor Snape's gonna kill me when he finds out." Flint groaned.

"Am I now?" _That's Dad's silky voice, he'll make them go away._

"Professor Snape!" Flint sounded panicked.

"Harry's sick Sir, he won't get up and he feels really hot."

"And why, exactly, would that be cause to 'kill you'?"

There was another hand on his forehead, then the covers were pulled back and a hand cupped his cheek.

"Harry, can you open your eyes for me please?" A soft voice whispered soothingly. Harry complied, his eyelids fluttered open for a few moments before the heaviness was too much to fight and he allowed them to close again.

"Sir, we… we… I mean…"

"Mr. Flint, go get your breakfast, then come straight to the Infirmary and explain - in English with fully formed sentences."

"Yes Sir."

Hands were underneath him, lifting him carefully and pulling him close against a solid warm chest. _Dad would sort it out, make him better. This was nice._ Harry snuggled his head against the warm chest and brought his hand up to rest against the soothing heartbeat he felt there.

"Stay awake Harry."

"Trying Dad." Harry mumbled, fighting against the overwhelming urge to succumb to sleep.

They seemed to be moving quite quickly, then Harry heard the distinctive sound of a floo being activated and the word 'Infirmary' being shouted. Then everything went dark and quiet.

OoOo

"Poppy! I need you quickly." Severus called as he rushed over to the nearest bed and set Harry down carefully.

"Even you weren't here as much as this." Poppy said exasperatedly as she performed a diagnostic spell on the sleeping child.

"He's got pneumonia, it's a lung infection. I'll get the potion." Poppy stated, then saw the concerned look on Severus' face. "Don't worry Severus, he'll be fine in a couple of days." She gave him a quick reassuring pat on the arm before going to retrieve the necessary potion from her stores.

Poppy returned in less than a minute and indicated for Severus to get him into a sitting position so she could pour the potion down his throat. The movement roused Harry slightly from his slumber.

"Harry, I need you to take this potion." He explained softly.

"Wassit?"

"To make you feel better."

"Ok."

"Open up." The child complied and Poppy brought the vial to his lips.

"All in one Harry." Poppy said, tipping the contents of the vial into Harry's mouth. Harry gulped it down, then gave out a loud barking cough that wracked his tiny body.

Severus waited until the coughing ceased then carefully began changing the boy into pyjamas, as he still appeared to be wearing his school uniform from the previous day.

He had just finished changing the boy and tucking him in under the covers when he heard the door open and turned to see a very nervous looking Marcus Flint enter the room.

"Is he ok Sir?" Flint asked.

"He will be. Now, what were you failing miserably at explaining to me earlier?" Severus said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Right, ok," The boy took a deep breath then recited the events of Sunday with the Ravenclaws before telling him about Harry promising to come to the Infirmary and his subsequent detention yesterday evening. By the time Flint had finished his story he looked like he was about to burst into tears. Severus sighed deeply.

"What's wrong with him Sir?" Flint asked with a slight tremor in his voice.

"He has pneumonia, it isn't necessarily caused by a swim in the lake, but it won't have helped. Madam Pomfrey assures me he will be fine in a couple of days." Severus explained, feeling old beyond his years.

"You'd better get to class Mr. Flint."

"Yes Sir." Flint replied, casting a concerned glance at Harry before scurrying away.

"You should go too. He'll sleep through most of the day." Poppy said sympathetically.

Severus nodded but lingered over Harry for a few moments before exiting the Infirmary.

Severus went to the Infirmary at lunch time to check on his child and found Harry's two best friends sat by his bed talking quietly to him. The boy's skin looked flushed and was obviously still very tired but he allowed him a few more moments with his friends and sought out Poppy.

"How is he?"

"He will be fine Severus. His friends will have to leave soon though, he needs to rest."

"I'll take care of it." Severus replied, then made his way out of the office and towards his young charge.

"Dad!" Harry croaked with a weak smile, his features lit. A second later he seemed to realise what he'd said and a look of panic overtook his face.

"I'm sorry! Sorry Professor!"

"Boys, I think it's time you left Harry to rest." Severus said, ignoring the apology.

"Yes Sir." Draco and Teddy said together, shuffling out of the Infirmary.

Severus sat down in one of the recently vacated chairs beside Harry's bed and rested his hand on Harry's skinny arm.

"I'm sorry Sir!"

"Hush child." Severus said, patting Harry's arm lightly.

"It's alright Harry, and it's not the first time you've called me Dad."

Harry gave him a puzzled look, "It isn't?"

"You called me Dad when I put you to bed on Christmas day, and again this morning when I brought you here." Severus said calmly.

"Oh." Harry said, staring down at his lap.

"Harry, is that... I mean… do you think of me as your father?" Severus said, feeling unsure of himself suddenly.

Harry looked up at him with a hint of fear in his eyes, before lowering his head once again and nodding quickly.

"It's alright Harry, in fact, I'm glad you do."

Harry's head shot up in surprise, his eyes filled with hope. "Really?"

"Yes Harry."

"You'll be my Dad?" Harry whispered hopefully.

"Yes Harry."

The boy's face lit up as he gave Severus the widest, happiest grin he had ever seen.

"Come here you silly boy." Severus said, gathering the child into his arms and embracing him warmly.

OoOo

Harry was bored. He had slept for most of yesterday but he had awoken during the night and couldn't get back to sleep, the foreboding shadows played tricks on his mind and he found he couldn't relax enough to lay down properly and allow sleep to claim him. It was now early morning and Madam Pomfrey was bustling about in her storeroom. His throat felt much better and his muscles didn't ache as much but he still felt incredibly weak and his head was still really stuffy.

"Here you go Mr. Potter, down in one." Madam Pomfrey said, handing him a potion vial.

Harry took it and did as he was told, screwing his face up at the taste before handing the now empty vial back to the medi-witch.

"Can I go now Madam Pomfrey?" Harry asked hopefully.

"You most certainly cannot young man. You'll be here until tomorrow at the earliest."

"But I feel much better!" Harry said indignantly.

"Don't take that tone with me Mr. Potter." Madam Pomfrey admonished sternly.

"Sorry Ma'am."

"Harry, you may be feeling a little better, but you are seriously ill and your body needs time to heal. You need to rest child, and I gather from the bags under your eyes that you didn't sleep well last night?"

"Not really Ma'am." Harry admitted quietly.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

"No, it's just… it's really spooky in here at night."

"I see, well, after breakfast I want you to get as much sleep as possible and I'll see about letting you stay with your Dad tonight. Alright?"

"Yes Ma'am!" Harry exclaimed happily.

Madam Pomfrey shook her head with a wry smile on her face before disappearing back to her office, moments later the imposing figure of Professor Snape walked through the door and strode up to Harry's bed.

"Hi Dad! Madam Pomfrey says I can stay with you tonight!" Harry said excitedly.

"Oh did she now?" Snape's silky voice floated across the open room, causing Madam Pomfrey to come back out from her office.

"That isn't exactly what I said now is it Mr. Potter?" Madam Pomfrey said.

"As long as I rest today and get plenty of sleep right?" Harry asked, hoping he had not misunderstood.

"And if it's alright with your Dad." Madam Pomfrey said, giving his Dad a knowing look that Harry didn't really understand.

"I see." Snape said, raising one of his eyebrows.

"Are you staying for breakfast?" Harry asked.

"I am."

Harry smiled happily up at his Dad, who ruffled his hair playfully for a few moments. _Harry couldn't remember ever being this happy, Snape had agreed to be his Dad, not just his guardian, but his Dad! He had a Dad! _

Breakfast arrived and Harry was relieved to find that he had porridge - his throat was much better but it still felt a little scratchy and he didn't think he'd be able to eat something like toast, no matter how much butter and jam was on it. Porridge wouldn't hurt his throat though, and Harry felt his stomach rumble as Snape handed him the steaming bowl and a spoon.

"Eat up Harry."

"Yes Dad."

Despite his growling stomach, Harry felt full after only half a bowl. Snape gave him a disapproving look but did not comment on his lack of appetite. Too soon, Snape announced that he had to get to his classroom before his students arrived, leaving Harry alone in the Infirmary once again.

OoOo

Severus smiled at the sight that greeted him upon entering the Infirmary after the days classes had finished. Harry was sitting in bed with his arms across his chest glaring at the medi-witch who was studiously ignoring the daggers the boy gave her whilst she carried out a diagnostic check.

"I've told you Mr. Potter, you can glare at me as much as you like but until I'm happy that you're healing properly and I've had the chance to speak to your father, you're not going anywhere." Poppy said sternly.

Severus cleared his throat to announce his presence and schooled his expression to that of a neutral one, it would not do for Harry to know he found the boy's pouting amusing. Poppy finished her spell then gave Harry a stern look.

"Do not move Mr. Potter, or you won't be going anywhere tonight."

Severus saw Harry stick his bottom lip further out and turned away from them to hide his smirk of amusement, then followed the medi-witch into her office and closed the door behind them.

"I swear Severus, that child has picked up too many of your traits already!"

"Whatever do you mean?" Severus feigned innocence, but could not help his smirk at Poppy's disapproving glare.

"He glares just like you do, and is easily as stubborn when it comes to resting."

Poppy sat down heavily in her simple but comfortable chair and poured herself some tea from the tea service beside her. Severus sat opposite and took the cup she offered him.

"Poppy I'm curious, why did you say he could stay with me tonight? You've never allowed anyone out early, not that I mind of course."

"He finds it difficult to sleep here during the night, he said it was 'spooky'. I noticed the dark circles under his eyes again this morning and although he said he did not have a nightmare, I think wide open dark spaces scare him. Too many shadows where people can hide and sneak up on him, no doubt this stems from his… those vile creatures."

Both adults were quiet for a few moments, then Severus sat forward and put a comforting hand on Poppy's knee. "Thank you Poppy."

"You're welcome Severus. Go on, you'd better take him before he glares a hole in my door." Poppy joked light-heartedly.

Severus gave her an appreciative smile before exiting the office to collect his wayward son. _Son, Harry was his son. He would need to speak to Albus and get the adoption papers written up, Merlin knew how long it would take to get it approved._

"How do you feel now Harry?" Severus asked, sitting back in his chair in his quarters as Harry settled on the sofa.

"Much better thanks, my head still feels a bit stuffy but it's not too bad."

"Good, in that case, I believe we need to talk about the events leading up to your bout in the Infirmary."

"Sir?" The boy asked, a little fearfully.

"Why didn't you tell me you were feeling ill? Why didn't you go see Madam Pomfrey?" Severus asked in a concerned tone. Harry stared down at his lap, twisting his hands in his pyjama bottoms and Severus waited calmly for the boy to gather his thoughts.

"I didn't want anyone to get into trouble, and I don't like being poked and prodded and I don't like staying in the Infirmary. If I'd told you I was ill you'd want to know why, then you might be angry at me for being in danger and nearly drowning and stuff and mad at Flint for hexing those Ravenclaws…" Harry trailed off, still staring down at his lap.

_Nearly drowning? Mr. Flint had said he came out of the water as soon as they arrived._

"Mr. Flint gave the impression that you were only pretending to struggle in the water."

Harry's head shot up in surprise, making eye contact for only a moment before he lowered his eyes once again.

"By the time Flint and his friends came I'd managed to get into the shallows where I could stand up, but they threw me in at the end of the jetty where it's deep and I… I never learnt to swim and I was scared and…"

"Well, that's something we can rectify in the summer."

"What is?"

"Teaching you to swim."

"Really?" The hope in the child's voice was evident.

"Of course! Come here." Severus patted his knee gently and was gratified to see that Harry came over to him without any hesitation and relaxed against his chest when he lifted the scrawny child onto his knee. Severus wrapped his arms around Harry and rested his chin atop the child's messy head.

"Harry, if you're ever hurt or ill, or someone is bullying you, you must come and tell me immediately. You are not to try handling things on your own from now on, I am your father and you are my responsibility, it is my job to keep you safe. Do you understand?" Severus spoke in a low tone to convey the seriousness of the matter.

"Yes Dad, I'm sorry." Harry said sincerely.

"Do you know the names of any of the students that attacked you?" Severus asked.

"No, they were all upper years and in Ravenclaw."

"I shall ask Mr. Flint then."

"He's not in trouble is he? For helping me?" Harry asked fearfully.

"No Harry, not for helping you. However, he should have informed me of this incident, he knows better."

"But-"

"No Harry, this is very serious, he is a Prefect and much older than you. He should have informed me and he didn't, for that he will be punished." Severus explained smoothly.

"Dad?"

"Yes Harry?"

"Please don't be too mean to him."

"I never am child."

Harry relaxed once again in Severus' embrace and rested his tiny hand above Severus' heart. He had noticed the child do that every time he was able and promptly fell asleep soon after. It came as no surprise when he heard Harry's breathing slow and even out after only a few minutes and Severus found himself hoping it would always be that easy to calm Harry. _Just feel my heartbeat Harry, everything will be fine. Tomorrow, he would find out the names of those Ravenclaws and teach them just what it meant to mess with HIS son._

_Next Chapter – The wrath of Snape, and Lucius' Project_


	18. Chapter 18 - The Wrath of Snape

_**A/N: It's a little late but on the plus side it's also a long one. I can't believe this story has over 1,000 follows! You guys rock!**_

**Chapter 18 – The wrath of Snape, and Lucius' Project**

"Do you have the list of names I asked for Mr. Flint?"

"Yes Sir." Flint handed the sheet of parchment over then stood nervously waiting to hear what his punishment would be.

"Now, you will compose a three foot essay entitled 'Leadership and the chain of command in Slytherin House'. I require it by next Wednesday, understand?"

"Yes Sir." Flint skulked away warily.

Severus strode through the Castle purposefully, glaring menacingly at anyone who dared to come within 5 feet of him. Reaching the Headmaster's office he stopped only long enough to utter the ridiculous password before stepping onto the revolving steps and up into Albus' domain.

"Severus! How nice to see you!" Albus greeted him cheerfully.

Severus strode up to Albus' desk and slammed the sheet of parchment down onto it.

"This is a list of names of students that tried to drown a first year in the lake on Sunday. I want them expelled immediately Headmaster."

"Severus?"

"You will notice that they are Ravenclaws, all 4th year and above." Severus continued coldly.

"Severus, you must tell me the full story my boy." Albus spoke softly.

"Those students," Severus began, pointing his finger at the parchment, "attacked Harry on Sunday in revenge for Slytherin winning the Quidditch match. They stunned him and threw him into the lake, and did absolutely nothing when it became obvious that he could not swim. If my snakes hadn't intervened when they did Harry could be dead!" Severus had worked himself up and was practically shouting by the end of his explanation.

"Severus please calm yourself. Now, how can you be sure they knew he could not swim? It does sound awfully like a prank that went a little too far, hardly worthy of expulsion don't you think?"

"Oh I see, just like Potter and Black's 'prank' that almost cost me my life! That's it isn't it? A Slytherin 'plays a prank' and they are evil, any other house 'plays a prank' and they get nothing more than a slap on the wrist! This won't do Albus, either you take action, or I will." Severus ground out through gritted teeth, absolutely seething.

"Now now Severus, you know that is not true. The students involved will be punished, but I will not expel them, not for this. If the problem escalates I may consider it my boy, but not for a first offence."

Severus ran a hand through his lanky hair and took a few deep breaths to get his anger under control.

"How will they be punished then?" He asked eventually.

"I think a week's worth of detention should suffice."

"No, that is not enough. Not by far."

"Then what would you suggest Severus?" Albus spoke calmly, completely unperturbed by Severus' anger.

"A month's detention at the very least, and they must all write essays on sportsmanship and bullying, plus a large point loss for each student."

"Two weeks detention, the essays and 10 points from each student."

"Two weeks detention _with me_, the essays and 50 points from each student. They would have let him drown Albus!" _Trust the old man to go soft on their punishments!_

"20 points."

"30, or I will take the remainder during my class, either way Ravenclaw will lose 300 points." Severus said, raising his chin and resting his arms across his chest. Albus let out a sigh before agreeing to the punishment, knowing that Severus would indeed carry out his threat.

_Stupid old codger, he never took discipline seriously! Oh those little brats would pay for their actions! If Albus wouldn't correct their selfish and reckless behaviour before it spiralled out of control, then he would. A prank at school could easily turn into a murder out of school – just look at Sirius Black for Merlin's sake!_

After leaving the Headmaster's office Severus made his way down to Filius Flitwick's office and broke the news to him. Severus smiled to himself as he remembered the tiny man struggle to contain his anger, only to unleash his fury on the hapless nitwits that dared to mess with his son. It was good to see that someone shared his outrage of how the wayward students had acted and felt justified in his anger over the incident. It was also very refreshing to have a fellow staff member agree with him over a disciplinary matter instead of whining that he was being too severe. _Oh yes, between Filius and himself, those bloody dunderheads were going to sorely regret their actions._

"I want them in my classroom at 6pm tonight Filius, tell them to bring spare quills and plenty of ink." Severus intoned.

"Don't worry Severus, I'll make sure they come prepared. How is young Harry faring?"

"He'll be fine in a few days... until his next mishap." Severus added wryly.

"Hmmm, he does seem to have a knack for trouble doesn't he?" Filius mused.

"Just a bit." Severus agreed, giving the dwarf a knowing smile before bidding him good day and returning to the dungeons.

"House points are inconsequential when compared to a human life. 1000 times. Begin." Severus ordered sternly, glowering at the Ravenclaw bullies.

The students scrabbled to obey, looking suitably chastised. 1000 lines, that would take them at least 3 hours and was more likely to take closer to 4 hours really. He was going to make the next 2 weeks a living hell for them and hopefully, correct their behaviour somewhat.

OoOo

Harry had spent the previous 2 nights in his Father's quarters and had not been allowed to return to classes until today. It was now Friday and the beginning of March, spring was upon them and everyone could feel the renewed warmth spreading throughout the Castle and across the grounds.

Flint had been very apologetic towards Harry since his release from the clutches of Madam Pomfrey, despite Harry's repeated assurance that there was no need. Harry had lost a bit of weight during his illness and so the nutritional potions that Harry had been hoping to come off soon were once again part of his daily diet for the foreseeable future. Harry glared at the offending vial for a few moments at breakfast before sighing and downing it. No matter how many times he took it he couldn't get used to the taste. Finishing his breakfast he headed to Transfiguration with his friends, belatedly realising that the last time he had been in here McGonagall had given him a lengthy detention for not completing his homework. He hoped he hadn't missed anything important whilst he'd been stuck in the Infirmary. Transfiguration seemed like a very useful subject and he didn't want to fail in it. They took their seats as Harry waited anxiously for the lesson to begin.

"Right class, let's see how many of you understood the theory covered in our last lesson, you all have a mouse that needs to become a snuff box. Extra points will be awarded for more ornate designs however, points will be taken away if it has whiskers. Begin." McGonagall instructed, casting her stern eyes around the room.

Harry looked around slightly panicked, _he had not been in the theory lesson! He was going to lose points for sure! _

"Ah, Mr. Potter. As you were ill when this was covered, I will allow you to read through the theory during today's lesson, if you have any questions about it then please do ask."

"Yes Professor, thank you." Harry replied with a relieved sigh.

Harry grabbed his book and found the correct chapter then began reading in earnest, blocking out the noise of everyone around him in a valiant attempt to learn the material. Harry became so engrossed in his textbook that he did not hear the class being called to a close and was therefore startled badly by Teddy poking him in the ribs to get his attention.

"Teddy what the hell?!" Harry shrieked, a little perturbed by his own lack of awareness.

"Chill Harry, it's the end of the lesson!"

Harry cast his eyes around the class and flushed when he saw that everyone was packing away their things and exiting the room.

"Sorry Teddy, got lost in the book." Harry said with a sheepish smile.

"You okay Harry? You look a bit peaky." Teddy asked, concerned.

"Yeah I'm fine. Really." Harry reassured his friend.

"Mr. Potter," McGonagall's voice cut off any more questions and Harry turned to face his Professor.

"Yes Professor?"

"Did you manage to read the whole chapter?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Did you understand it? Do you have any questions?" McGonagall looked down at him over her half-moon spectacles.

"I think I understand it all Professor." Harry replied steadily.

"Well in that case, do you think you could perform the spell?" McGonagall asked, raising an eyebrow.

Harry nodded nervously and followed the stern woman when she beckoned him over to her desk. She placed a mouse on the end closest to Harry and stood back. Harry drew his wand and took a few deep breaths, concentrating on the incantation and picturing an image of a snuffbox clearly in his mind. He spoke the incantation as clearly as he could and moved his wand as the book directed. He felt the magic flow from his hand through his wand where it warmed for a few moments before Harry felt the spell come to completion. He opened his eyes slowly and grinned widely at seeing a silver snuffbox with a leaf patterned inlay, just like he had pictured it, and not a whisker in sight!

"Well done Mr. Potter, I do believe this is the best I've seen today. 20 points Mr. Potter." Harry beamed at her words as pride swelled up inside him. He chanced a look up at McGonagall and was happily surprised to see a small smile adorning her normally stern features.

"Go on Mr. Potter, you don't want to be late for your next class."

"Yes Ma'am, thank you." Harry said, striding over to collect his book bag and leaving the classroom with a proud smile stuck firmly on his features.

Harry sat down to dinner happily, still on a high over his success in transfiguration that morning.

"Hey Harry, you know how Snape went mental over those Ravenclaws? Well I heard he's had them writing lines and scrubbing cauldrons every night so far, making them stay for at least three hours. And they've got essays to write over the weekend!" Draco whispered gleefully.

"And have you noticed the massive drop in points?" Teddy said, pointing to the hourglasses behind the teachers tables.

"Guess that'll teach 'em not to mess with us!" Draco announced, smirking at his friends.

Harry did indeed see the change in the hourglasses and smiled at the memory of his Dad comforting him while he was sick.

"Yeah, he told me he's gonna let Filch take them tonight so I can still see him." Harry said, smiling happily at him taking priority over the detention students. _His Dad really did care about him so much!_

After dinner Harry spent an hour with his friends before making his way to his Dad's quarters and making himself comfortable on the sofa with his hot chocolate like he usually did. His Father joined him after a few minutes of finishing marking papers.

"How are you today Harry?"

"I'm good, I feel fine."

"I see you earned 30 points today, that's quite impressive." Snape said smoothly.

Harry broke into a grin before explaining his success in transfiguration and charms class that day.

"Well done Harry, I'm very proud of you." Snape said with a small smile that was barely noticeable - but notice it Harry did - and beamed unashamedly at his Father's words.

"Harry, do you know what adoption means?" Snape asked, suddenly looking very serious.

"Yes sir." Harry answered, dropping into the more formal address.

"How would you feel about me adopting you?"

"Really? You'd adopt me? Really?" Harry asked excitedly_, this day just got better and better!_

"I want you to think about this Harry, if I put in the application there will no doubt be a few hoops we may have to jump through."

"Like what?" Harry asked, frowning.

"Well, the Ministry will probably send someone to interview us both, and make sure that I am a suitable guardian for you."

"I want you to be my Dad. I want you to adopt me." Harry stated firmly, ensuring he kept eye contact so to convey his conviction to the man across from him.

"Very well, I will complete the forms. Then you're stuck with me." Snape gave him a wry smile, which Harry returned.

"And you're stuck with me."

"Indeed."

OoOo

Severus had been busy in the run up to the Easter holidays. He had filed the application for adoption, had ensured that those Ravenclaws had been suitably punished for their abominable actions, he had drawn up the OWL exam questions and most importantly of all, he had been busy preparing his small home at Spinners End for the arrival of his soon-to-be son. It had taken a large amount of time to clean the run-down house and put a bit of life back into the old girl, brightening it up and replacing some of the old furniture. He had lived a modest life with little need for frivolities and so he had no need to penny-pinch with the restoration work. He made sure Harry had a bright and airy room with plenty of storage space and solid wooden furniture. He had bought a few children's fiction books, both magical and muggle, and decided it would be best to take Harry shopping for any other little bits and pieces he wanted to personalise his space. It was important for Harry to take ownership of the room, he wanted the child to understand that this would be his own room, his personal space and it should reflect his personality and hobbies rather than what anyone else thought it should be like.

Severus was wrestled from his thoughts by the arrival of a large black owl swooping down and dropping a letter in front of him, almost landing in his bowl of porridge. He recognised the elegant script bearing his name but turned it over anyway just to confirm his suspicion. The wax seal stamped with the Malfoy crest gazed proudly back at him. Severus tucked the letter into his pocket and resumed eating his breakfast, idly wondering as to the contents of his letter from Lucius.

Severus walked briskly down to his classroom and once there, took the opportunity to read his letter from Lucius before his first class of the day wanted to visit them over the break. Lucius was interested in meeting Harry – really, Severus was a little surprised it had taken this long for Lucius to come sniffing. He penned a quick reply inviting him and Draco over for tea after the weekend. He wanted to give Harry the chance to settle in at Spinners End before they had company.

The holidays finally arrived and Severus allowed Harry to wave his friends off at the platform before they floo'd to Spinners End. Severus went through first and caught Harry when he arrived as the boy stumbled from the fireplace of the sitting room.

"Welcome home Harry." Severus stated with a small smile, pleased at Harry's happy grin.

Severus showed Harry around the small terrace house, from the sitting room a door led off to the library - covered from floor to ceiling with books on 3 sides and his comfortable armchair and footrest in the corner near the window and a small desk and padded chair against the wall not lined with books. After showing Harry the library they stepped back into the sitting room and Severus led Harry out into a small hallway that led to the front door at one end, the stairs at the other, the door to the cellar which housed Snape's potions lab, as well as the doorway to the kitchen. It was old but clean and perfectly functional, and had a fridge and cooker. A door led out to the back garden and at the opposite end stood a solid wood table and four chairs. Severus then led Harry upstairs levitating the boys trunk up for him. Upstairs were 3 rooms - Severus' bedroom, a black and white tiled bathroom and finally, Harry's new room. It was Severus' old bedroom when he was a child and he had taken pains to ensure it looked nothing like it did when he had to live in it. He wanted it to be a happy place for Harry, completely removed from the dreary and depressing space it had once been.

Harry stepped into the room and looked round with an awed expression.

"Do you like it?" Severus asked, slightly nervous.

"It's brilliant!" Harry exclaimed, beaming up at him.

"I'm glad you like it. Well, I'll leave you to explore and unpack. It's a little bare at the moment so have a think about what you want to make the place your own. We can go get them tomorrow." Severus explained.

"I don't understand, what do you mean?" Harry asked with a confused look.

"You can put a couple of posters up if you like, and we can pick up a few toys and ornaments to make the room more your own."

"Really?" Harry asked, as if not quite believing him.

Instead of a verbal response, Severus raised his eyebrow.

"Thanks Dad." Harry said, allowing himself to believe his Father's words.

"Go on, I'll call you when lunch is ready."

Severus chuckled to himself as he prepared lunch, Harry had been moving about quite a bit upstairs and every so often there came some loud thuds and a muffled 'oomph' as Harry arranged his room to his liking. He cut the ham and pickle sandwiches into triangles and put both his and Harry's plates onto the table before calling Harry down and grabbing a few pieces of fruit and placing them on a small plate beside Harry's sandwiches. Harry came bounding down the stairs sounding like a herd of Hippogriffs and entered the kitchen breathlessly as Severus took his seat. Harry gave him a happy smile as he sat down and tucked into his sandwiches ravenously.

"So, have you thought of what you'd like for your room?" Severus asked after a few minutes.

He watched the boy finish chewing and swallow before a contemplative look came over his features.

"I'm not sure, I've never really had my own room before." He said quietly.

"Well, we'll just have to shop around tomorrow until you see something you like then." Severus supplied, seeing how overwhelmed the boy was. Harry gave him a grateful smile then attacked his sandwich once again.

After lunch, Severus showed Harry the long narrow garden and explained about the wards he had set up, ensuring Harry knew his boundaries when flying and gaining the boys' promise not to leave the property alone under any circumstances. He then showed Harry the various different plants that were growing and was delighted when Harry recognized most of them as potions ingredients and could even state what potions some of them were used in. Harry had eagerly offered to tend the garden for him and had initially refused, not wanting the boy to feel he needed to 'earn his keep', but relented when he saw the boy's crestfallen face and compromised by stating that Harry could _help_ him tend the garden.

Severus informed Harry over dinner that evening that Draco and Lucius would be coming over for tea on Monday afternoon, much to Harry's delight. After much excited babbling by the pre-teen over what he would show Draco on his visit, Severus managed to get the boy to finish his meal before they moved to the sitting room and played a couple of games of chess - which Harry was still no good at - before he sent Harry up to take a bath and get ready for bed. He waited half an hour before going upstairs and knocking on Harry's door. A moment later the door opened and Harry stood in his pyjama bottoms with his hair still wet and sticking up all over the place, a puzzled look on his face.

"What?" Severus asked.

"Nothing, just… why did you knock?"

Severus frowned at the question before speaking in a voice that indicated the answer was so obvious he couldn't quite believe he was saying it at all. "It is polite to knock before entering someone's personal space, is it not?"

"Well, yeah I guess, it's just, this is your house. You don't need to knock before coming in here." Harry answered with a shrug.

"Harry, this is your home too, and you are entitled to a certain amount of privacy. Do you understand?" Severus said, kneeling down to Harry's eye level and grasping his shoulders lightly to ensure Harry saw the sincerity he was trying to convey. They stayed that way for a few moments before Harry launched himself into Severus chest and clamped his scrawny arms around Severus' neck.

"Alright child." Severus whispered, rubbing small circles on the child's bare back. He continued for a minute or so before releasing Harry and patting him on his backside playfully.

"Go get your pyjama top on and brush your hair, I'll be back in a moment." Severus said, then stood and left the room heading for the bathroom. He needed a moment to compose himself - _how the child thought so little of himself! As if he wasn't deserving of simple common courtesy! Merlin help me._ Severus stared at his reflection in the mirror for a few moments more, then shook his head and breathed an exasperated sigh before re-entering the boy's room once more. Harry was now in bed with slightly less messy hair, his glasses on the nightstand and a contented look on his face.

"We've got a busy day tomorrow so get plenty of sleep." Severus said, pulling the covers up to Harry's chin and tucking the covers more tightly around him to prevent a draught.

"Night Dad." Harry said sleepily.

"Goodnight son." Severus replied in a whisper then exited the room, extinguishing the lights as he went.

OoOo

After breakfast the next morning, Harry followed his Dad through the floo to the Leaky Cauldron and gave him a sheepish smile as he was caught from stumbling by the man's strong arms.

"Okay where to first, magical or muggle?" Severus asked, ignoring the child's embarrassment at his undignified exit from the fireplace.

"Erm… magical."

"This way then." Severus said, indicating with his arm towards the back of the pub and the entrance to Diagon Alley.

The street was teeming with people bustling in and out of shops and Harry stepped closer to Snape's side. As they were planning on going into muggle London today both he and Snape were dressed in muggle attire, Snape wore black jeans and a dark grey knitted full neck jumper, with worn black work style boots. Harry thought he looked quite stylish and unlike many other wizards, Snape actually knew how muggle fashion worked. Harry himself was wearing his white Adidas trainers, blue jeans and a light grey knitted jumper. It was warm enough that they didn't need jackets, but cool enough that a knitted jumper was welcome.

Snape put a hand on Harry's shoulder and led him through the throngs of shoppers and into what Harry soon realised was a magical toy shop. He stared open-mouthed at the massive array of strange objects - some were clearly for babies and younger kids and Harry allowed himself a few moments to wonder if he would have had those toys if he had grown up with his parents. Snape didn't allow him to dwell on those thoughts for long as he steered Harry through the shop to more age appropriate toys and Harry stood dumbstruck as he read the contents of various brightly coloured boxes.

'_Build your Army up and lead them against the Dragons of Denmark!' _

'_Wizard Skittles, hours of fun inside! With 4 different set ups already charmed into them!'_

'_Chase the snitch! Fun for when you're without your broom'_

'_Table Quidditch! For those rainy days'_

'_Who did it? The puzzle game for the budding Auror inside'_

Harry stared in amazement at the magical toys, wondering if he would be allowed more than one game. He reached out and tentatively for the 'Army of Dragons' game, where animated figures would fight against charmed dragon figurines, and you could set up different training regimes for your Army and put out different obstacles for your Army to either overcome or use as a refuge during battle. It all sounded very exciting to Harry.

"Good choice, anything else?" Snape asked, startling Harry from his thoughts.

Realising what the man had said, he smiled gratefully before picking up the 'Ground Snitch' - he couldn't fly very high or fast in the garden and so this would be good to chase around without his broom, the 'snitch' never went above four feet from the ground and moved much slower to allow kids to chase it on foot.

"Alright, let's go pay for them then." Snape smiled, then led Harry carrying his 2 new toys to the cashier and promptly paid for the items.

Next stop was Flourish & Blotts where Harry was told to pick 3 books of his choice while Snape disappeared into the potions section. Harry smiled at his Dad before wandering along the stacks browsing the various subjects when a bright purple book caught his eye.

'Practical defensive spells for beginners.' For some reason Harry couldn't tear himself away from it and so decided to have it, it would be useful if nothing else. He also picked a fiction book called 'Dragons in the mist' and then deliberated over getting 'potions for pranks'. It sounded fun and unlike the spell book, he would be able to use this at home however, he didn't know if his Dad would approve of him brewing potions to turn people's hair different colours or make them burp uncontrollably for 2 hours. He was still perusing the book when Snape found him 10 minutes later.

"Are you ready?" Snape asked.

Harry looked up sheepishly, unsure if he should ask for the book or just take the other two.

"What's the matter Harry?"

"Erm… I found this book but, well…"

Snape took the book from his hands and frowned as he read the title. He flicked to the contents and read the list of potions that could be made before sighing and looking down at Harry.

"Very well, but you do not test any of these on me, and you'll have to pay for the ingredients out of your pocket money, alright?"

"My pocket money?"

"Yes Harry, your pocket money."

Harry frowned in confusion, he didn't get pocket money!

"5 Sickles a week is reasonable, don't you think?" Snape said in clarification.

"You're giving me pocket money?"

"I don't see why not, as long as you keep up with your school work."

"Yes sir!" Harry exclaimed happily.

"Come on then." Snape said, ushering Harry towards the counter to pay for the books.

After paying for the books Harry plucked up the courage and asked Snape if they could go get some ingredients for his potions from the Apothecary. To his delight Snape agreed and they entered the shop and Harry began searching for the ingredients to brew 'squeaky voice' and 'grow horns'. They sounded fun. Finding his ingredients, Harry made his way to the counter and looked up at his Dad expectantly.

"Do I have enough for all these?" He asked, showing Snape the bundle in his arms.

Snape nodded and so Harry clumsily deposited the various ingredients on the counter for the teller to process. They headed back to the Leaky Cauldron and left their bags with Tom for safekeeping before heading through to muggle London where it seemed even busier to Harry. Not only were there scathes of people walking around, but the traffic was constant and it was much noisier too. Harry grabbed hold of Snape's arm as they made their way through the crowds of people, he did not want to get separated from his Dad but he was way too old to be holding his Dad's hand, especially out in public. Thankfully, Snape kept his pace slow and made no move to grasp his hand, although he did give Harry a reassuring smile every now and then.

Finally, they entered a massive store called 'Toys R Us' and once again Harry was astonished at the sheer number of toys and games on display. Harry made his way past the video consoles that Dudley always liked playing on and found himself staring at a long shelf of Lego's. His eyes caught a picture of a Castle and Harry smiled _- this was what he wanted! He could build a Castle and use it with his Army of Dragon's game! Awesome! _Harry picked the box up from the shelf and showed it to his Dad.

"Can I have this please Dad?" Harry asked.

"Alright." Snape answered, taking the rather large box from him as they continued round the store. They went past radio controlled cars, action figures and musical instruments, board games and various sports equipment before Snape stopped and turned to Harry.

"Is there nothing else you would like Harry?"

"Erm, no I don't think so. Maybe… would it be ok if we got a football?" Harry asked spotting the round leather balls encased in a large basket.

"Of course child, go get one." Harry hurried over to the basket and selected a bright orange ball.

"You'd better get a pump for it while we're here too." Snape added thoughtfully.

Harry found the football pumps and selected one before walking back over to Snape.

"Right, let's go pay for them then get some lunch shall we?"

Harry smiled gratefully and nodded in agreement before following the man to the checkout.

After lunch, they collected their bags from Tom and floo'd back home from the Leaky Cauldron and Harry took his new things up to his room. He spent the afternoon alternating between his Dragons game and building a massive Lego castle. He was so engrossed in playing that he didn't hear Snape call him for dinner. It wasn't until Snape knocked on his open door that Harry looked up from his half-built castle.

"When I call you I expect you answer Harry." Snape admonished.

"I'm sorry Dad, I never heard you. Honest." Harry apologised as he stood.

"Come on then, dinner is ready."

OoOo

Harry was dressed smartly in a blue shirt and black trousers today, they were having Draco and his father round for tea. Harry struggled to maintain his excitement, after all, he finally had a place he could call home and even better, he had a friend he could show it to. After what seemed like hours of waiting, the floo activated and out stepped Draco closely followed by his Father. The family resemblance was striking, it was now plainly obvious where Draco got his white blonde hair and ice blue eyes from.

"Lucius!" Snape greeted the man warmly and stepped forward to shake his hand.

"And this is Harry." Snape said, introducing him. Harry stepped forward and held out his hand in greeting.

"Hello Sir." Harry said clearly, just like his Dad said he should.

"Why hello Harry, how are you today?"

"I'm very well thank you Mr. Malfoy."

"Harry, why don't you show Draco your room, we'll call you down for tea in a short while." Snape instructed and Harry nodded eagerly before leading Draco up to his room.

Harry stood proudly in the middle of his room, gesturing round and babbling happily about his new games, finally stopping for breath when he saw Draco's unimpressed expression.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, frowning.

"Nothing, it's just smaller than I thought it would be." Draco answered nonchalantly, but Harry knew Draco was placating him.

"I don't like big spaces, this is just right for me." Harry said defensively.

"It's fine Harry. So, what else did you get?" Draco asked, quickly trying to change the subject.

Harry decided not to allow anything to spoil his mood and so he showed Draco the books he had gotten and watched amusedly at Draco's shocked expression at the prank potions book.

"Seriously? He let you have this?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Yep, on the condition that I don't try any of the potions on him." Harry said proudly.

"Wow Harry, have you brewed any of them yet?"

"No, I only got the book yesterday, but I've got the ingredients to brew the squeaky voice and the one to grow horns, so I'll bring them back to school after the holidays. Who should we try the squeaky voice on?"

The two boys laughed as they poured over possible candidates to prank and before they knew it, Snape was calling them down. They sat drinking tea and nibbling on some chocolate chip cookies quietly for a few minutes before Mr. Malfoy addressed Harry.

"I hear you have a particular talent with wood Harry."

Harry swallowed the cookie in his mouth before replying with a 'yes sir'.

"I was wondering if you could help me Harry. You see, my wife's birthday is coming up soon and I wanted to get her a jewellery box with our family crest carved onto the lid, however I have been unable to find someone to complete the work needed. I was wondering if you would carve the pattern for me, I would pay handsomely of course."

Harry stared at the man with his mouth slightly agape. He couldn't believe Draco's Dad actually trusted him to do something like this!

"I have the wood with me, I will take the pieces to be constructed afterwards." He continued to explain.

"Erm, what does your family crest look like Sir?" Harry asked, shaking his head slightly to clear his thoughts.

Mr. Malfoy brought out an old book and opened it at a certain page before handing it over to him. Harry glanced over to his Father as he took the book and felt relieved when he received a reassuring smile. Harry brought his attention back to the book and studied the emblem carefully. It was a large roman type font 'M' with wings on either side of it and a snake's head looking out from the dip of the 'M'. It didn't look too complicated and Harry decided he would probably be able to carve it - probably.

"I can try Sir, when do you need it by?" Harry asked, looking up from the book.

"Oh, not for 3 weeks yet. Does that give you enough time?"

"Yes Sir, that's plenty of time." Harry replied. He would be able to try it on a piece of his own wood brought from Hagrid's before he used the wood for the box.

"Excellent! Well, here's the wood." Mr. Malfoy said, handing Harry a smooth black leather satchel. Harry opened it carefully and brought out the different pieces that would make up the box. It was dark and obviously very expensive, he hoped he wouldn't make a mess of it. It was all plain though and a thought occurred to Harry.

"Sir, would you like some patterning on the sides? Like a Celtic band or something?"

Mr. Malfoy looked over to Snape for a moment before turning back to Harry.

"That would be wonderful Harry, but only if you have the time. I wouldn't want it to take up your entire holiday." He smiled in what Harry thought was more of an arrogant smirk but Harry dismissed it and instead replied in an even tone.

"Don't worry Sir, it won't."

"Well then, I believe we will head home now. It was very good to meet you at last Harry."

"You too Sir."

Draco stood with his Father and said goodbye to both Harry and his Dad before they exited through the floo.

"Are you sure it won't take up all your time Harry?" Snape asked once they were alone.

"Pretty sure. Erm, Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Can I get changed now?"

"Of course you can."

"Thanks." Harry breathed in relief before disappearing upstairs to change into his play clothes. He was actually quite eager to get started on the crest, it would be a good challenge.

OoOo

Severus had been reluctant to allow Harry to take on Lucius' project, he wasn't sure how long it would take the boy and wanted him to have plenty of time to relax and play, the last thing Harry needed was to feel under pressure to complete something, after all, woodcarving was a hobby not a job. And whatever possessed him to let the child have that potions book he would never know. It had been a moment of insanity, pure and simple. No, it was because he wanted Harry to enjoy brewing and he knew the book would certainly encourage his son to take a more active interest in the subject. He would just watch the boy and make sure he didn't upset any of his fellow snakes with those pranks. The pranks were innocent enough though and the ingredients quite cheap and easy to brew so he supposed there were worse things Harry could want. He had also been rather surprised at Harry's choice of toys, he had chosen modest toys - which didn't surprise him - that would keep him entertained for long periods and were a mixture of indoor and outdoor games. The ground snitch came as no surprise but he had expected Harry to pick the 'who dunnit' game for some reason - probably because Potter senior had been an Auror - but then again, Harry's only real attribute of his Father's was flying.

He had been tempted to get Harry much more than he had, but decided against it at the last moment. It would not do for Harry to become spoilt and besides, if he bought the whole toy shop in one go there would be nothing left to buy him for his birthday in a few months. Harry had been happy with what he had received and there was plenty to keep him entertained for the holidays, even without Lucius' project to contend with.

Lucius. The man had asked too many questions about Harry and the relationship between them, what had been surprising though was how eager he was to assist with the adoption by offering to be a referee for Severus. Severus had agreed, knowing that he stood a much better chance if he had not only Albus' endorsement but also that of an influential pureblood businessman with strong links to the Ministry. He only hoped that the jewellery box was the return favour and he would not be calling on him for something he was not prepared to give. _Wishful thinking at its best -_ Severus thought wryly to himself. A jewellery box did not even come close to securing the adoption of Harry. Speaking of which, Severus wondered what the boy was up to and so he stood from his armchair and went in search of his son.

Harry was in the garden sitting leant up against a tree, carving. He approached the boy steadily, making enough noise to alert the child to his presence without startling him.

"Starting already?" Severus asked when he reached the boy.

"Yeah, it's an interesting pattern so I thought I'd practice first." Harry replied, smiling.

"Harry, I don't want you to feel like you must do this. If you don't want to I will speak to Mr. Malfoy -"

"No! I want to Dad! I do!" Harry cut in.

Severus raised his eyebrow at the boy's interruption and was gratified to see the boy flush.

"Sorry Dad, but I really do want to do

this, honest."

"Alright then. I'll call you when dinner's ready." Severus said then turned to leave.

"Do you want me to help?" Harry asked.

"Help?" Severus asked in confusion.

"With dinner. Do you want me to help?"

"No child, you enjoy yourself."

Severus received a grateful smile from Harry and he shook his head as he made his way back into the house.

The following day Harry asked if he could brew one of his potions and so Severus took him down to his lab and spent the morning brewing a few healing potions of his own while Harry worked on his potion to make someone grow horns. Severus had checked over the instructions beforehand and was happy that even if something did go wrong with the potion, it would still be relatively harmless. If brewed correctly, the drinker would have a pair of 3 inch devil horns on their head for 6 hours.

By lunchtime, Severus had brewed a healthy stock of pain reliever and bruise balm, which he would keep in his personal stores - and probably need for Harry during the final term of school. Harry was busy ladling the contents of his cauldron into a quart bottle, it would be enough to affect his entire House and Severus had a sinking feeling in the pit of stomach - _Merlin what had possessed him?_

"Dad, I'm gonna try this out ok?" Harry asked, holding up the bottle of red liquid.

"Fine." Severus sighed, cleaning away his worktable and heading upstairs to make sandwiches, closely followed by Harry.

By the time sandwiches were on the table, Harry was sporting a pair of horns and looking very proud of himself.

"Eat up little devil." Severus smirked as he placed the plate in front of Harry.

"Thanks Dad." Harry replied, before hungrily tucking into his sandwiches.

OoOo

The holidays had been the best time of his life, Harry mused as he took the finished pieces of the jewellery box into the sitting room to show his Dad. He had worked hard on it and wanted his Father's approval before they called Mr. Malfoy to collect them. He had managed to carve the crest across the curved lid panel and had carved a continuous Celtic band around the sides that would look seamless when it was all joined together. Harry had used a ruler to get the dimensions right and felt a great sense of accomplishment at his work. There were only 2 days left of the holiday and Harry wanted to spend as much time as possible with his Dad before they had to go back to the hustle and bustle of Hogwarts.

"I've finished it Dad." Harry said as he entered the sitting room carrying the satchel Mr. Malfoy had given him to keep the wood in.

His Dad looked up from the book he was reading, then placed the book on the coffee table when he realised what Harry had been referring to.

"Let's have a look then." Snape said, motioning for Harry to place the satchel on the coffee table.

Harry obliged and carefully withdrew the pieces from the satchel and explained where each piece would go when it was joined together. He showed his Dad the lid last of all. Harry looked up to find his Dad staring at him with wonderment and he flushed slightly.

"Do you think he'll like it?" He asked quietly.

His Dad stared at him for another moment before studying the crest again then he placed it carefully on the table and grasped Harry lightly by the shoulders and stared deep into his eyes.

"You are so gifted Harry, so very gifted. Mr. Malfoy is not easily impressed, but I have no doubt that he will be extremely pleased with this, as will Mrs. Malfoy. I am very proud of you son, very proud indeed."

His Dad pulled him into a tight embrace, which Harry returned eagerly. After a few minutes of silent hugging, his Dad finally released him and stood up.

"Shall we call Mr. Malfoy now?"

"Okay." Harry replied.

Harry watched as his Dad fire-called Malfoy Manor and moments later, Mr. Malfoy emerged from the fireplace and held out his hand for Harry to shake.

"Hello again Harry, I trust you are well?" Mr. Malfoy said warmly.

"Yes Sir. I've finished your jewellery box Sir." Harry replied, pointing to the table.

Mr. Malfoy smiled at him again before turning his attention to the reason of his visit. Harry watched intently as the man's ice blue eyes widened and his lips parted slightly. He moved around the table gracefully and picked up each part of the box to inspect it more closely. Eventually, Mr. Malfoy placed the lid back on the table and turned back to Harry.

"Thank you very much Harry, this is perfect. I can see a very bright future for you child. I believe such exquisite workmanship deserves an appropriate reward, and I did say I would pay for your services." Mr. Malfoy said, bringing out 2 purple velvet pouches from an inner pocket of his robes and handed them over to Harry with a warm smile.

Harry stared at the pouches incredulously - _the man was paying him? _Harry looked up at his Dad for help, not knowing if he should accept money from the man. His Dad nodded at his unasked question and so Harry turned his attention back to Mr. Malfoy and thanked him for his generosity.

"You are too modest Harry, too modest by far. I believe I am the one who has bagged a bargain here." Mr. Malfoy said, then gathered the pieces of wood into the satchel and turned to address his Dad.

"Severus, if there is anything else I can do for you and Harry please do not hesitate to ask. I am sorry I cannot stay longer but my presence is required at the Ministry shortly so I must bid you good day." Mr. Malfoy said, shaking his Dad's hand then moving with the satchel back to the fireplace.

"Take care Harry." He said, then disappeared into the green flames.

Harry looked down at his hands, remembering the money pouches he had been given.

"Go on then, let's see what you've earned." Snape said, sitting down in his armchair.

Harry emptied the contents onto the table and gasped a the amount of gold coins he saw. He counted them carefully then looked up at his Dad in awe.

"There's 40 Galleons here!" Harry exclaimed.

"Really? Well I suppose we had better take a trip to Gringotts then and deposit them in your vault for safekeeping."

"So, I can keep it all then?"

"Of course, you earned it Harry. It's yours." Snape said, smiling proudly at him.

"Wow."

"Indeed."

_Next Chapter - Horns and Ministry Workers_

_Oh, just in case some of you are curious, a quart is 2 pints :-)_


	19. Chapter 19 - Horns and Ministry Workers

**A/N:**_ I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter as much as I have nejoyed writing it! If there are any mistakes I apologise but I have been having some bad headaches recently (think I need to go to the opticians) and found it difficult to concentrate on proofreading._

Chapter 19 - Horns and Ministry Workers

Harry and Severus returned to Hogwarts on Sunday afternoon, an hour or so before the Hogwarts Express was due to arrive. Harry dragged his trunk up to his dorm room while his Dad went to set up his classroom ready for the commencement of classes on Monday morning. Harry unpacked quickly and then made his way down to the train platform to welcome his friends when they arrived. He couldn't wait to see them! He had had the best holiday ever - playing with his new toys and brewing with his Dad, spending time playing cards and chess in the evenings and drinking hot chocolate before going to bed. He had never felt so happy, so loved.

He couldn't wait to tell Teddy and Draco about the prank potions he had brewed and were currently hidden away in his trunk. He had brewed the horn growing potion and the squeaky voice one, then, after his Dad said he could have some of his dried billywig stings - he also managed to brew the potion that turned your skin purple! This term was going to be so much fun! Snape had warned him about not using the potions on people who were likely to get upset about being pranked and had also said that if he received any complaints from students or other teachers, he would have to confiscate the potions. Harry supposed that was fair, after all, they were only supposed to be a bit of fun.

The train arrived soon after Harry made it down to the station and he greeted his friends warmly before dragging them away from the crowd and whispering mischievously in their ears.

"I've got a surprise to show you! Back in the dorms, you're not gonna believe it!"

With that, the three friends hurried onto the carts and rushed through the Castle up to their dorm.

"Come on then Harry! What is it?" Teddy asked, still a little out of breath.

With a mischievous smirk Harry opened his trunk and produced the 3 bottles of potions.

"This one," Harry indicated to the red liquid, "makes you grow devil horns for 6 hours!"

"You brewed it?! And Snape knows?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Yep, and this one here, turns your skin purple for 8 hours!" Harry then pointed to his third potion. "And this one makes your voice go really squeaky for an hour!"

"I can't believe it!" Draco exclaimed before erupting into gleeful laughter, closely followed by Harry and Teddy.

"What's going off here?" Zabini scowled from the doorway.

The boys sobered before mumbling 'nothing' and Harry closed his trunk quickly. The boys shared a quick grin before getting up from their space on the floor and Teddy and Draco began unpacking while Harry went down to the common room to wait for them to finish.

After dinner Harry, Teddy and Draco sat near the fire in the common room discussing who they would use their potions on.

"You know, I think it'd be really funny if we all turned up tomorrow with horns!" Teddy laughed.

"Hey, what are you three up to?" Flint's teasing voice cut in.

"Nothing." Harry replied, still grinning.

"I heard something about horns." Flint said, sitting down on the sofa beside them.

The boys shared a quick look of agreement before Draco spoke up.

"Harry got a prank potions book and he's brewed a potion that makes you grow devil horns for 6 hours."

"Really? And Snape knows?" Flint asked with a frown.

"Yep, as long as nobody complains I'm allowed them."

"And they're safe?"

"Yep, Snape checked them, and I tried out the horns one over the holiday." Harry replied proudly.

Flint looked at Harry thoughtfully for a few moments then glanced around the common room quickly before leaning in and whispering loudly to Harry.

"How much do you have?"

"Two pints, and you only need a mouthful for it to work."

"I tell you what would be really funny - if _everyone_ in Slytherin turned up to breakfast tomorrow with horns." Flint grinned.

"Could you convince everyone?" Draco asked, eyeing the small crowd of students in the common room.

"Leave it to me." Flint winked at them, then stood and moved off.

"This is going to be really funny! Can you imagine the look on Dumbledore's face tomorrow!"

"And McGonagall's?"

"And Snape's?"

At that, the three boys broke out in a fit of laughter once again.

OoOo

Severus took his seat next to Minerva at the staff table and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Good morning Minerva, Albus." He greeted them cordially.

"Good morning Severus, I trust you enjoyed the break?" Albus asked, smiling.

"Yes I did, thank you."

"And Harry?" Minerva asked.

"I believe Harry also enjoyed a pleasant holiday." Severus replied, purposefully withholding the details to tease the two elder faculty members.

"No problems?" Albus probed.

"None at all." Severus replied, then yelped in surprise when Minerva slapped his arm.

"Stop teasing us Severus!" Minerva hissed.

Severus rubbed his arm absently as he smirked at his colleagues. After a few moments of strained silence he relented and began to summarize the events of the holiday, and was gratified to see their approving expressions when he described Harry's reaction to his room and the shopping trip. He did not however divulge the fact that he had allowed Harry to brew prank potions, he would not out his son to the other faculty members just yet.

After a few minutes of amicable conversation about their holiday activities Minerva suddenly gave out a loud gasp and pointed towards the entrance to the Great Hall.

"Oh my! Severus! Your students!" Minerva managed to splutter, her eyes wide in surprise and her hand over her chest.

Severus turned and his eyes widened at the sight before him. Harry, Teddy and Draco were walking steadily to their seats with Flint and the other Prefects directly behind them, who in turn were closely followed by all the other Slytherin students. What had caught everyone's attention though, were the little devil horns each student were sporting – and looking quite satisfied with themselves too. Severus turned back to Minerva and Albus who were staring in horror at the students calmly taking their seats. Severus couldn't help it; the expressions on their faces were just too amusing and he could no longer keep a straight face, and broke out into a wide grin. Albus and Minerva turned to their normally stoic Potions Master and stared at him aghast, at which point Severus completely lost control and began chuckling in earnest.

"Severus! Your...your students! Why are you not concerned?" Minerva gasped.

"Should I have reason to be?" Severus replied, still chuckling.

"They are sporting horns! You must do something!"

"Why?" Severus replied, finally getting himself under control, but remained grinning at his colleagues.

"Why?" Minerva echoed in an outraged tone.

"Yes Minerva, why must I do something? It appears that my students are quite happy with their new appearance."

Minerva scanned the Slytherin table and found that indeed none of the students seemed distressed, and in fact, they appeared to be complementing each other on their new horns.

"Did you know about this Severus?" Albus asked, now also finding the situation quite amusing.

"Me? Of course not Headmaster." He said mock seriously.

"But... but..." Minerva stuttered.

"Oh calm down Minerva, they'll wear off in six hours or so." Severus explained, then proceeded to serve himself breakfast.

Severus studiously ignored the Deputy Headmistress's scowl and scanned the Great Hall. Students from the other three houses were casting confused glances towards both the Slytherin table and the staff table, no doubt some of them had witnessed his earlier outburst and that of his two colleagues. Severus smirked into his coffee, who knew that instead of pranking other students Harry and his house had decided to set off a new craze.

"You are incorrigible Severus Snape!" Minerva hissed at him.

"Oh come now Minerva, I thought you would be pleased that for once the Weasley twins are innocent of committing a rather elaborate prank. And my Slytherins are not upsetting or harming anyone, although I do believe that some of the other students are looking quite envious right now." Severus explained, indicating to a group of Hufflepuffs eying some of his upper year students.

Minerva harrumphed loudly and turned back to her breakfast as Albus gave him a small knowing smile before returning to his own meal. _Harry, you're going to be the death of me child._

OoOo

"I've never seen him smile before, never mind laugh!" Flint exclaimed as they left the Great Hall after breakfast.

"Are you sure he was actually laughing?" A sixth year girl asked.

"His shoulders were moving and everything, he was definitely laughing." Flint stated.

"Yeah, even the Headmaster and McGonagall were shocked!" Adrian Pucey laughed.

"I thought McGonagall was gonna have kittens!"

The group of mixed year Slytherins laughed as they departed ways towards their various classes for the start of the new term.

Harry smiled happily as he made his way with his friends to the Transfiguration classroom.

"Harry you're brilliant!" Teddy exclaimed, playfully punching his arm as they walked.

"Thanks Teddy. Do you think... do you think McGonagall will say anything in class?" Harry asked a little worriedly.

"Nah, and even if she does - so what? There's nothing in the rules that says you can't have devil horns!" Draco drawled as they pushed the door open and made their way to their seats.

Professor McGonagall had eyed all the Slytherins suspiciously at the beginning of the lesson but as it progressed and nobody had done anything untoward she had relaxed, realising that the horns were the extent of the stunt. Harry was well into his essay when a note floated down onto his desk. He looked around quickly but nobody was watching him, so after a quick glance to make sure Professor McGonagall wasn't looking, he unfolded the note and read it quickly then elbowed Teddy to get his attention and showed it to him.

_Nice horns Harry, they make you look cute. ;-) _

Harry and Teddy shared a smile and Harry felt a small blush form before he was startled by the imposing figure of his Transfiguration teacher standing directly in front of him. She held her hand out and gave him a pointed look which Harry knew better than to argue with.

With his cheeks now flaming he handed over the note and ducked his head in embarrassment.

"Two points from Slytherin Mr. Potter. Any further correspondence will take place outside my classroom." She said sternly.

"Yes Ma'am." Harry replied dejectedly, keeping his head down. Because of this, he missed the wry smile she gave him before returning to her desk.

At lunchtime it became clear to Harry that the whole school was impressed with the result of his potion. Flint came and sat next to him and clapped him on the back.

"So how's my budding little brewer doing today?" Flint smiled.

"Erm, fine. You?" Harry replied, a little confused at Flint's mood.

"I'm great Harry, and it's all thanks to you!"

"Really? Why?"

"See that cute girl over there, the Hufflepuff with blonde hair?" Flint said, pointing to the girl in question.

"I see her."

"Well, she thinks I look hot with these horns! I've got a date with her on Friday night little bro, and it's all down to you!" Flint said, clapping him on the back once more.

"Erm, that's great Flint." Harry replied, screwing his face up at Draco as if to say 'yuck!'

"Call me Marcus Harry, you're practically my little brother now!"

"Ok, erm thanks... Marcus." Harry said nervously.

"Great! Well, see you later Harry. Oh, do you have any left? I'd like to have them again for my date."

"There's a little left."

"Great! Catch you later little bro."

At that, Flint grabbed a bread roll and sauntered off further down the table, flashing the Hufflepuff girl a wide grin as he went.

"Has Flint gone a little bonkers d'you think?" Harry asked Teddy and Draco as he tracked the older boys' retreating form.

"Possibly." Teddy replied before taking a large bite of his sandwich.

Harry shook his head before turning to his own plate, hoping Flint – no Marcus – would be acting more like himself by dinnertime.

It seemed that Harry's horns – as they were now named – had had a similar effect on some of the other upper year boys, as another four of them had approached Harry during the afternoon and thanked him for his part in helping them acquire dates with girls from both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw houses. The strangest part of the afternoon though was when a 5th year girl had kissed him on the cheek and thanked him for 'his horns'. His friends had burst into laughter as Harry scrubbed at his now crimson face with his sleeve where the girl had kissed him. Harry then stormed off to the toilets to give his face a proper wash (and wait until he was no longer blushing) before he entered the Great Hall for dinner.

OoOo

By dinnertime, the faculty had become aware of the sudden increase in romantic offers and Minerva sat down grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Severus." She greeted the dour man.

_He hated raging teenage hormones!_

"Minerva. You're looking rather smug this evening." Severus replied, inclining his head.

"Oh, I just thought you should see something I confiscated from young Harry today during my lesson." She said then handed over a small piece of folded paper.

Severus took the paper, giving the woman a stern look. He unfolded it and read the small note, then gave out an exasperated sigh and rubbed a hand down his face.

"Seems he has an admirer Severus. You know, I think it may be time for one of those Father and Son talks." She said with a smirk and Severus couldn't help the tiny pink splotches that blemished his cheeks.

_Get a grip man! She is just teasing you! It is Harry that has an admirer, not you! Oh no, no, no, no, no, no! Let the ground open up and swallow me whole! I don't do these talks, not ever! What if Harry doesn't know ANYTHING? Those blasted muggles wouldn't have told him anything, so how much had he picked up? Did muggle schools cover this stuff? And if so, when? Oh, why me?!_

The pink splotches disappeared as the Potions Master paled considerably. He looked over at Minerva and growled at her smug look.

"Oh shut up woman." Severus spat and turned to his meal, ignoring the witch's chuckles.

It was on Wednesday morning when an owl delivered the letter Severus had been anticipating – a Ministry employee from Wizarding Child Services would be arriving on Saturday to interview both Harry and himself in regards to his adoption application. They were also going to interview Albus and Lucius in due course. Severus called Harry down to their quarters that evening to inform him of the interview and to tell the boy a few things about his past that might come up during questioning. Besides, the boy really did need to know a little more of his history before the adoption. He only hoped Harry wouldn't be too upset about what he had to say.

The tentative knock came just before 6pm that evening as Severus carried his and Harry's hot drinks into the living room. He bid the boy to enter before taking his seat and taking a long sip of his drink while the boy settled on the sofa.

"Everything ok Dad?" Harry asked a little nervously. "You're, you're not mad about the horns thing are you? I mean, everybody thought it was funny and, we didn't hurt anybody or anything." Harry trailed off, afraid he was in trouble.

"No Harry it's not about that. It was actually quite amusing watching the other staff's reaction." He smiled to reassure the boy and was gratified to see the smile returned.

"Harry, do you remember when we talked about me adopting you?"

"Yes sir." Harry said, straightening in his seat and suddenly looking very alert.

"Well, I received a letter today informing me that someone from the Ministry will be coming to the Castle on Saturday to interview us both about it. There is nothing to worry about Harry, just be polite and answer their questions truthfully alright?"

Harry nodded enthusiastically.

"Good, now, with this in mind I feel I should tell you a few things about my past that may come up during questioning and I believe you deserve to know beforehand, as people can tend to bend the facts to suit their own preconceptions."

"I understand."

Severus took a deep breath before beginning; "when I was young I was a very angry young man and I made the biggest mistake of my life. I was... fooled... into believing the Dark Lord was worth following. By the time I realised who he truly was it was too late, however, when I found out that he was planning to kill you and your mother I could not stand by and let it happen and so I went to the Headmaster and told him what I knew. The Headmaster gave me a second chance and had me become a spy for the side of the light. Unfortunately things did not work out quite the way we wanted and your parents were still killed." Severus paused and took a deep breath; that had been more difficult to say than he had thought. He looked Harry in the eye and relaxed slightly when he saw the boy did not appear to be angry but looked deep in thought.

"After the war, the Headmaster defended me to the Ministry and I was cleared of all charges against me, but there are still many people who do not trust me, and probably never will." Severus said, then quieted to allow the boy to gather his thoughts.

After what seemed like an age, Harry blew out a breath and turned to face Severus.

"I trust you."

The sincerity of the statement and the finality in the way it had been spoken roused something deep inside Severus that he could not name – but somewhere inside there was relief, and pride, and a profound happiness at the acceptance of the little boy before him. Without any conscious thought, he rose from his seat and gathered Harry in his arms, crushing the child against his chest as he fought to compose himself.

"Thank you Harry." He murmured into Harry's messy mop of hair.

Finally, he released the boy and set him back down on his feet softly.

"You think they're gonna try and scare me into not wanting to be with you, don't you?" Harry asked.

"They might." Severus agreed in a gravelly voice.

"Don't worry Dad, I'm not gonna believe anything a stranger says about you, they don't know you."

Severus smiled down at Harry, then ruffled his hair in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"So then, tell me how you managed to get the whole house to take your potion."

Severus smiled at the boy as he launched into an enthusiastic explanation of the event and resulting 'weirdness' of some of the upper year boys.

"I heard you gained an admirer too Harry." Severus teased, smirking when the boy blushed.

"Yeah well, girls are strange!" Harry exclaimed, clearly not impressed.

Severus laughed at the statement, clearly they had plenty of time before Harry started taking an interest in girls and Severus found he was immensely relieved that he would not have to worry about all the complications that came with _that_ stage of adolescence for a while yet. _Ah, the golden age of innocence, if only it could last forever._

OoOo

Saturday arrived quickly and Harry was feeling more nervous than excited now. He had dressed in his best robes that his Dad had bought for him and stood looking at his reflection in the mirror nervously. _No matter how much he tried he could not get his hair to stay flat! It even stuck up when it was wet! He didn't want to embarrass Professor Snape by looking like a ruffian – what sort of message would that send out? No, today he was a polite and well-behaved young wizard... as long as kept control of his temper... god I hope I don't mess this up._

Harry hesitated at the door to his Dad's quarters, trying in vain to slow his heart-rate and quell the butterflies that seemed to be doing gymnastics in his stomach. _Now or never Harry, don't keep them waiting. _He balled his hand into a fist to stop it from shaking and knocked loudly on the door. A second later it opened and Harry entered, spotting his Dad standing stiffly in front of the fireplace.

"Are they here yet?" Harry asked tentatively.

"Not yet, we have a few minutes before the Headmaster brings him or her down I think. Remember Harry, be polite and answer the questions as best you can. If you start feeling angry or upset then ask for a break, I'll be close by so don't worry about that, alright?"

"Yes Dad." Harry nodded in acquiescence, then remembered the mess that was his hair, "I'm sorry about my hair but I've tried everything and it still sticks up!" Harry exclaimed agitatedly.

"I doubt that it will have any bearing on the outcome of the interview Harry, just try to relax a little." Snape said, but it was clear that he was nervous too.

"I will if you do." Harry remarked cheekily, giving his Dad a sly grin as he said it.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Snape said loftily, then smirked down at Harry and clipped his ear playfully. "Cheeky brat."

Harry's retort was banished from his mind before it had fully formed as a loud knock reverberated through the cosy living room.

"I assumed they would floo down." Snape commented absently as he strode over to the door. It was good manners to greet a guest at the door rather than use your wand and allow them to enter without an official welcome.

"Severus! May I introduce Mrs. Austere Carissus from the Ministry, she will be conducting your interviews today." Dumbledore said brightly.

"Mrs. Carissus, please come in." Snape said with a slight bow and a welcoming gesture with his arm.

The three adults entered the living room and Harry took in the imposing figure looking around the room with a calculating gaze. She was tall and thin with dark brown hair tied back into a bun and had a long thin nose. Harry guessed she was in her 40's or 50's but then again he wasn't exactly an expert at judging people's ages. Finally, her gaze stopped at Harry and she introduced herself with a fake smile on her face.

"Good morning Mrs. Carissus." Harry said as confidently as he could muster.

She nodded at him once before addressing everyone present.

"Gentlemen, if you don't mind I think it would be best if I spoke to Harry first, no doubt you are a little nervous and are eager to get back to your friends." She had turned to address him and again gave him a sickly sweet smile that instead of comforting him, set his stomach roiling.

Harry watched the woman warily as she sat down in Snape's usual chair and forced down the flare of annoyance at the woman's audacity – _that was his Dad's chair! She never even asked!_

Remembering his Dad's words about staying calm he took a few deep breaths and seated himself in his usual spot on the sofa.

"Beverage?" His Dad asked the woman.

"Oh, tea would be wonderful, thank you." She replied sweetly and Harry resisted the urge to screw his face up at her tone.

His Dad levitated a tea tray to rest on the table in front of her then laid a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder as he handed him a mug of hot chocolate. Harry took it gratefully with a 'thanks Dad' and took a long sip. Harry watched as Snape and Dumbledore went to sit in the kitchen before finally turning his attention back to the woman sat in his Dad's chair.

"There's no need to be nervous Harry, I just want to know how you feel about Professor Snape and make sure you're going to be looked after properly." Mrs Carissus smiled.

"Yes ma'am." Harry replied, hugging his mug with both hands and using it as an anchor.

"Good, now, I noticed you called him 'Dad' a few moments ago." The woman paused and gave him a pointed look. Harry bit back the urge to say something sarcastic and instead replied in the affirmative.

"Did Professor Snape suggest you call him that?"

"No." Harry said a little more abruptly than he meant to.

The woman ignored his defensive attitude and carried on with her questioning.

"So when did you start referring to Professor Snape as your father?"

Harry scratched the back of his neck nervously for a few moments as he thought of his reply.

"Well, the first time I remember saying it was when I was in the Infirmary, but he said I'd called him that before then, at Christmas was the first time he said."

"How long ago was it that you were in the Infirmary Harry?"

"It was a couple of days after the Quidditch match against Ravenclaw, so it was the beginning of February, why does it matter?"

"Oh, I was just curious." She said with a wave of her hand. "Harry, do you want Professor Snape to adopt you?"

"Yes of course." Harry replied without hesitation.

"Why?"

Harry hesitated then. _Why? There were a million reasons why..._

"Because... because he takes care of me, and he helps me, and... and I like being with him, and... he cares about me." Harry sighed, finding it difficult to express how he felt without sounding like a baby.

"Do you know exactly what it would mean if Professor Snape adopted you?"

"It would mean nobody could take me away from him."

"Well, yes it would. It means that you legally become his son, he would become solely responsible for you, in charge of you. Do you understand Harry?"

"Yes of course I do, I'm not stupid!" Harry blurted out angrily.

"I'm sorry Harry, I didn't mean to upset you, I just want to make sure you fully understand the implications of your decision."

"Sorry I shouted." Harry mumbled, his ears burning.

The woman took a long sip of her tea before pouring herself another cup and stirring it methodically.

"Harry, how does Professor Snape discipline you? Away from the classroom that is."

"Well, he... it depends on what I do wrong but... I would get confined to my room, or have to write an essay on what I did wrong or I might get banned from flying for a week."

"Have you been punished in any of these ways?" She asked carefully.

"No, I haven't been in trouble. I mean, there was one thing but I got detention for that and some other stuff happened but it wasn't my fault so I didn't get punished." Harry finished with a shrug.

"Harry, has Professor Snape ever punished you physically?"

"No! He would never! We already talked about it and he promised he would never!" Harry practically yelled at the woman, feeling very panicky all of a sudden.

"Harry calm down, it's alright. I'm not accusing him of anything, I was just asking the question."

Harry closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing, tensing and relaxing his muscles like Snape had taught him. Once he felt in control, he opened his eyes and met the woman's concerned expression.

"Sorry Ma'am, I get a bit worked up sometimes... but Professor Snape's helping me with that."

"How is he helping you?"

"We've been doing these relaxation exercises and stuff, they help."

She gave him a sympathetic smile before continuing in that sickly sweet voice of hers that grated against Harry's nerves.

"Do you know anything about Professor Snape's past?"

Harry knew exactly where this was going and decided to head her off before she got into full steam.

"Yes I do, he already told me, and he told me you might try and scare me with rumours and horror stories about it. I trust him, and I don't care what anybody else thinks. I don't care what you think or what you say about it, I won't believe you. I trust my Dad." Harry raised his chin, daring her to refute him. Harry saw the look of shock on her face and allowed himself a mental _'ha!'_.

"I see you feel very strongly about it."

"I trust my Dad." Harry repeated, refusing to get drawn into the line of questioning.

OoOo

Severus heard Harry's raised voice as he sat in the kitchen with Albus. His expression was growing more and more murderous every time he heard Harry's distressed voice and was about to stand up and go tear chunks out of the woman for upsetting him when he felt Albus' hand on his forearm.

"Calm yourself Severus, I'm sure Harry is alright. It won't do either of you any good if you go storming in there."

"She is upsetting him!"

"Severus! Calm yourself this instant!" Albus hissed, applying more pressure on his arm.

Severus glared at the Headmaster before nodding reluctantly and settling back in his chair. He drummed his fingers on the table impatiently as the clock ticked by agonisingly slowly. Finally, after the longest 20 minutes of his life, he heard Harry's hurried little footsteps tapping along the floor and turned just in time to catch the boy as he barrelled into him. Severus wrapped his arms around the small boy instinctively and hugged him tightly for a few seconds before pulling back and grasping him by the arms.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, I am now." Harry sighed, glad to be away from _that _woman.

Severus gave him a reassuring smile before standing up and glaring at the woman who had appeared in the doorway.

"Whenever you're ready Professor," she said sincerely then addressed Harry, "It was nice meeting you Harry." Severus didn't miss the way Harry glared at her suspiciously as she turned and headed back into their living room.

"You can go get changed now, I'll see you after lunch."

"Can't I stay? I'll be quiet, I promise." Harry pleaded, his pitiful expression wrenching at Severus' heartstrings. The last 20 minutes had been agonising for Severus and he doubted Harry could endure the same.

"It would be better if you went Harry. Go on, I'll see you after lunch." Severus said as he ushered Harry towards the door.

"Please Dad..."

"I said no, Harry."

He heard the boy let out a defeated sigh as he walked reluctantly to the door and exited their quarters. He let out a sigh of his own before making his way back into the living room and sitting down in Harry's usual spot.

"He's fiercely protective of you Professor." Mrs. Carissus commented.

"And I him." Severus stated loftily.

"He scowls just like you too."

"Kindly get to your point Madam." Severus stated irritably, he had never been one for small talk.

"I was just wondering if you realized how much you have influenced young Mr. Potter."

"I can assure you Madam that Harry is very much his own person."

"Oh yes, I realize that. He does have quite a temper on him."

"Have you read his file? Do you know about his treatment prior to being at Hogwarts?"

"Yes I have –"

"Then surely you can understand why he struggles to contain his emotions." He gave her a pointed look which she acknowledged before changing tact slightly.

"Harry tells me you have taught him some relaxation techniques?"

"I have."

"Have you seen an improvement in him?"

"Yes, he is much calmer and more able to deal with stressful situations than he was at the beginning of the school year."

"Well that's good news. Do you spend much time with him away from the school setting?"

"He comes here at least one night a week and often spends some time with me at weekends. He also stayed here in my quarters over Christmas and we spent the Easter break at my residence in Yorkshire."

"I see, so you are fully aware of his needs as a parent?"

"I am."

"Do you believe you are the best person to take on such a role?"

"I do." _Here it comes, like a bullet to the head..._

"Why?"

S_o predictable. I'll bet she was a Ravenclaw; always believing it is their right to have every little thing explained to them in the quest for information. _

"Because Madam, I know what he needs and am able to provide those things. I care deeply for him and as you have no doubt witnessed, Harry trusts me."

"And he doesn't give his trust lightly."

"No he doesn't."

_At least she has some perception of reality._

"Do you not think he would flourish more under the care of someone a little less... strict?"

"Struggling to find the right word Mrs. Carissus? I could of course continue to play word games but I do believe I understand what you are getting at and do not wish to prolong this any longer than necessary. You believe that Harry needs affection, and you don't believe I can provide that. You think he would be better suited to someone... soft and cuddly?"

Severus waited for the woman to nod in agreement before continuing.

"He does not want someone soft; he wants a protector, someone who makes him feel safe and secure, and I assure you Mrs. Carissus, he receives the affection he needs. Just because we don't wear our hearts on our sleeves for all the world to see does not mean that we are cold and uncaring." Severus explained giving the woman a pointed look as he finished.

The woman's expression softened and a small appreciative smile formed on her lips.

"You are certainly the best protector a boy could wish for, Professor Snape. I do believe I've seen and heard enough to make my decision."

Severus swallowed the lump in his throat and fought vainly to slow his racing heartbeat as he stood to shake the woman's now outstretched hand.

"Congratulations Professor Snape, I wish you and your son the very best for the future. Your official document should arrive in two weeks."

"That's it?" Severus asked incredulously. _Surely it was more complicated than this?_

"Normally I would inspect your living quarters to ensure they are suitable and complete at least one follow-up visit but it is clear to me that you and Harry have formed a unique bond and that you both love each other very much. I received glowing reports from your two referees as well as some additional comments from some staff members I met on my way down here. It seems that everyone is in agreement that however unlikely it may seem, you – Severus Snape – are the ideal guardian for young Harry Potter."

_She's a bloody Slytherin! Well played Madam, for that line of questioning was the only way to bring out our true emotions... well played._

"Thank you Mrs. Carissus." Severus said sincerely as he shook the woman's hand.

He walked her to the door and bid her goodbye before returning to the kitchen dazedly. He slumped in the chair with a shocked expression as the enormity of the situation finally concreted itself in his brain.

_They had done it! Harry was HIS! HIS SON! _

"Severus? Severus what happened?" Albus asked worriedly.

"We did it." Severus said quietly, still in shock.

"Severus?"

Severus looked up then and stared into the Headmasters concerned blue eyes. Then he smiled. Then that smile turned into a full out grin.

"We did it! She approved the adoption!" He couldn't contain the giddiness which flowed through his veins, alighting every muscle and nerve ending in his body. He jumped up and caught up in a moment of pure happiness, grabbed the elder wizard and pulled him into a bone crushing hug.

"Congratulations Severus!" Albus choked out through the iron grip that was squeezing every last breath from him.

"I need to tell Harry." Severus said excitedly as he released the now slightly purple faced wizard. As if on cue, the door to his quarters burst open and in flew the messy haired boy in question.

"I saw her leave! What did she say?" The boy practically yelled, then stopped dead in the doorway and looked at his guardian with trepidation.

"So you were spying on your own father then?"

"I couldn't wait 'til after lunch!" _The poor child was so nervous he hadn't picked up on the hint._

"She said that you need to stop scowling like your father and come give me a hug right now, son."

Harry needed no further invitation, he was in Severus arms in the blink of an eye, locking his arms in a vice-like grip around his neck.

"She didn't say that." He heard the child murmur into his shoulder.

"She did comment on your scowl, apparently it is almost as good as mine." Severus mused jokingly and was gratified to hear Harry chuckle.

"She really said yes?" Harry asked, needing confirmation in the absolute.

"She did Harry, you're my son. Now and always."

_Next Chapter – Revelations_


	20. Chapter 20 - Revelations

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the lateness in updating but RL has really freaked out on me! There are only a couple of chapters to go! I hope you all like this chapter and I hope it was worth the wait :-)**

Chapter 20 - Revelations

Harry floated on a sea of contentment around the Castle for the rest of the weekend, he had so much joy inside him it was beginning to ooze from his pores. He spent much of Sunday playing gobstones and exploding snap outside in the glorious May sunshine with Teddy and Draco but couldn't bring himself to return to the common room with them to complete his History of Magic or Astronomy essays, it was too nice a day and Harry didn't want to be cooped up. He assured his friends that his essays were well in hand and bid them goodbye as they returned to the Castle, occasionally casting him wary glances over their shoulders. Harry shrugged them off and set off at a steady walk around the grounds breathing in the warm fresh air and enjoying the feel of the sun upon his face.

Harry's step faltered a little when he saw a small group of upper-year Ravenclaws walking towards him, suddenly feeling vulnerable being outside on his own so far from the Castle. He looked around quickly and to his great dismay realised there were no other Slytherins around. Harry took a deep breath and ploughed on, refusing to give in to fear and let the other students know how much they unsettled him. They were about ten feet away when they spoke and Harry stopped dead in his tracks, watching with horror as the four students spread out to block his path.

"Well, well, if it isn't little Prince Potter, out for a walk all on his lonesome." One boy sniggered maliciously.

Harry gulped past the lump that had formed in his throat and glanced around quickly in the hope that help would arrive but he couldn't see anyone he recognised nearby.

"There's no-one to protect you now Potter." Another boy jeered.

"What do you want?" Harry replied as forcefully as he could.

"Payback for all those detentions, Potter!"

The four boys moved towards him slowly, like hunters stalking their prey.

"Oi! Back off Davies!" A loud shout came from behind Harry and he whirled around to find the Weasley twins hurrying towards him with their wands drawn. He had never been so relieved to see Gryffindors in his life! Harry gave them a grateful smile and drew his own wand before turning to face the Ravenclaws with a red-head at either side of him.

"Sod off Weasleys, this has got nothing to do with you."

"And here we were, thinking Ravenclaws were actually smart!" One of the twins said to the other.

"You're right George, I guess the hat gets it wrong sometimes." Fred grinned.

"What the hell are two going on about?" One of the Ravenclaws asked irritably.

"All those detentions not enough for you to realise-"

"You can't touch him and get away with it-"

"Morons."

Fred and George had started finishing each other's sentences and it was quite amusing watching the Ravenclaws confused faces trying to keep up with the conversation.

"Besides, Harry here's-"

"A friend of ours."

Harry smiled despite himself, he had only spent a few hours with them at Christmas and said hello when they passed each other in the halls but even so, the twins considered him as a friend.

"Gryffindors don't make friends with Slytherins." Davies spat, but eyed the boys warily.

"That was then,"

"This is now."

The Ravenclaws looked at each other uneasily, clearly unsure as to how to proceed. It was Davies who eventually spoke for the group.

"Fine. We'll let you go this time Potter, but this isn't over."

Davies stomped away, closely followed by the rest of his gang and Harry breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"Thanks guys, you saved my life!" Harry said.

"No problem little snake." Fred replied, clapping Harry lightly on the back.

The twins insisted on accompanying Harry back up to the Castle, talking animatedly about pranks they had pulled and complimented Harry on his horns prank.

"So little snake, what other prank potions do you have?"

"Erm...well..."

"Oh come on Harry, you can tell us-"

"We just helped you out-"

"And we can teach you-"

"Some cool spells too."

Harry hesitated for a moment, before coming to the conclusion that he really did owe them, and learning new spells could be cool too.

"Well, I've got a potion that makes you have a squeaky voice, and one that turns your skin purple!"

"Cool! Have you tried them on anyone yet?"

"No, not yet."

"We could prank the Ravenclaws-"

"Teach them a lesson-"

"For messing with you."

Harry was reluctant, he didn't want his Dad mad at him, but on the other hand, it would be good to get back at the Ravens.

"Maybe..." Harry shrugged.

"I have an idea!" one of the red-heads exclaimed, Harry thought it was George but he couldn't be sure.

"Listen, we sneak into the Ravens common room, put loads of glasses on a table and a sign saying 'good luck in your exams' and fill the glasses with the potion. They all go to bed at 11 so we can go then!"

"Nice one Fred!"

Harry had been wrong about which one was Fred and which was George, he mused to himself as he contemplated the outrageous idea Fred had come up with.

"We'd be out after curfew, and how do you get into their common room anyway? Don't you need a password like ours?" Harry asked, though he did like the sound of the prank.

"Nah, they're so arrogant about their supposed intelligence-"

"The portrait asks a question and-"

"You have to answer it to get in."

"They think nobody else has any-"

"Brains in this school."

"Oh." It was all Harry could think to say at that startling revelation.

"We'll get the glasses from the kitchens-"

"Harry supplies the potion-"

"We make the banner-"

"Then sneak in and-"

"Voila!"

"Come with us to the kitchens Harry, a little lad like you needs to know how to get extra food when you need it-"

"Yeah, ready for your growth spurt-"

"And I bet Snape doesn't let you have many sweets either."

Harry balked at the accusation against his Dad and felt the overwhelming urge to set them straight.

"Actually, I do get sweets, he bought me chocolate frogs at Christmas, and he took me to the ice cream parlour in Diagon Alley."

"Wow, really? Well, anyway-"

"Still might be handy-"

"If you know where the kitchens are."

"So are you coming or not?"

Harry decided to go with them, there was no harm in knowing where the kitchens were after all. He was also rather excited about the prank they were going to pull, being out after curfew and sneaking around the Castle _– like a covert ops team on a secret mission!_

Harry walked along the corridor with the Weasley twins carrying a bundle of cakes given to him by the house-elves in the kitchens and realised that if he tried to eat any more he would be sick. He decided he would share them with his housemates later.

"So, what time do we meet up? And where?" Harry asked, still excited about their upcoming revenge prank on the Ravens.

"Erm, Harry... we've been thinking-"

"Maybe it would be better if you didn't come tonight-"

"Not because we don't want you there little snake-"

"It's just that we don't want you getting into trouble-"

"With Snape, and he always seems to know-"

"When one of his snakes are out after hours."

Harry looked stricken for a few moments before the reality of what he had been thinking of doing sank in and he realised the twins were right. Snape _always _found out and he dreaded to think what the man would do if – no _when_ – he found out Harry had been out after curfew. Harry shuddered at the thought then turned back to the twins concerned expressions.

"Alright, but you have to tell me _everything_ tomorrow, ok?"

"Sure thing Harry."

"No problem little snake."

OoOo

Severus was not impressed. He had received Harry's report card in anticipation of the end of year exams and it seemed his son had been slacking off in certain subjects. He let out an irritated sigh and looked down at the card once again.

_Charms – Exceeds Expectations_

_Transfiguration – Exceeds Expectations_

_Potions – Outstanding_

_Defence Against the Dark Arts – Exceeds Expectations_

_History of Magic – Poor_

_Herbology – Acceptable_

_Astronomy – Poor_

It was too late to speak with him now and so he would retrieve the child in the morning before classes began, and demand an explanation. He would also speak to Sinistra to ascertain why she hadn't informed him of his son's failing grade sooner, and hoped he could get Harry caught up in time for his exams, now only three weeks away. He hadn't thought Harry would slack off from his schoolwork and so had not been keeping a close enough eye on his son's study habits – _well that would change._ He had told Harry at the start of the guardianship he expected him to try his best, and although he did not expect the boy to be a straight 'O' student he knew Harry was capable of at least an 'acceptable' in all subjects. The boy had also helped tend their garden in Spinners End well enough for Severus to believe that Harry was capable of an 'E' in Herbology too.

Severus watched the owl drop his note in front of Harry at breakfast the next morning and was gratified when the boy nodded at him once he had read it. His attention then turned to a small group of Ravenclaws entering the Great Hall looking furious and shooting murderous looks towards the Gryffindor table. Severus followed their glares and was not surprised to find the recipients to be the Weasley twins. The twins were in turn grinning widely and giving a thumbs up signal, so Severus then tracked his gaze across the room and found Harry returning the signal looking rather proud of himself. Some of the Ravenclaws had also noticed the exchange between the twins and his son and were now levelling their glares at Harry too. Harry then lowered his head and began eating in earnest. Severus had a sinking feeling in his stomach, knowing instantly that Harry had conspired with the Gryffindor twins to prank the Ravenclaw students. _What had he told that blasted boy!_

He watched Harry eat his breakfast quickly and rose to follow the boy from the Great Hall once he had finished. Severus waited until they were inside his office before speaking, he did not want anyone to overhear his conversation with his son.

"I received your report card for the year Harry." Severus said, handing over the proffered card to the child. He was gratified to see the boy's shoulders slump in understanding as to why he had been summoned.

"What did I tell you I expected from you when I first became your guardian?"

"That I should do my best Sir." Harry replied quietly, still staring down at his report card.

"And is this your best?"

"No Sir."

"I didn't think so. I believe you owe me an explanation young man."

Harry looked up at him fearfully and took a long gulp, at which point Severus motioned for Harry to sit down as he took his own seat behind his desk. There were a few moments of tense silence before the boy finally spoke.

"It's just that, well... History's so boring and I don't see the point to it, I mean, why do I need to know about a Gargoyle strike or soap blizzard that happened hundreds of years ago? And, and I get outstandings for my Defence homework! And Herbology, well... I don't know, it seems a bit pointless too."

"And Astronomy?"

"Yeah Astronomy erm... well... I have some trouble with that." Harry admitted grudgingly.

"Explain." Severus intoned, not allowing the boy to get away with a half answer.

"Well, it's just that, I can't _see_ any of the constellations. Draco and Teddy tried to point them out to me but there's just so many stars it seems like any of them could be part of the constellation we're trying to find. Then... I figured because I couldn't do the class work there wasn't really much point in trying so hard with the homework." Harry finished with a defeated shrug.

Severus let out a deep sigh as he watched Harry lower his head and twist his hands into his robes nervously.

"Harry, look at me son." Severus said softly, then waited until the child obeyed.

"First of all, history is important because if we do not learn about the mistakes made by our forefathers we are doomed to repeat them when a similar occasion arises. It also aids you in understanding the culture and customs of our world, explains why certain people in our society act a certain way, and why they believe what they do. If you don't understand why someone thinks a certain way you cannot hope to change their way of thinking, or reconcile with them. Do you understand?"

"I never thought about it like that. Sorry." Harry's voice was full of repentance and Severus could see that this revelation was completely new to him but did at least make sense.

"Now, secondly, you are a good potions student and you were eager to help me tend our garden over the holiday." Severus paused to let his words sink in before continuing, "with that in mind, can you not think of a reason as to why Herbology is important?"

He watched patiently as Harry chewed his lip for a few moments before understanding dawned on his face.

"Because you need to know how to grow and look after plants so they can be used in potions." Harry answered a little uncertainly.

"Correct, and it is also much cheaper to grow your own ingredients than to buy everything from the Apothecary."

Harry nodded in understanding, then met Severus' eyes and apologised once again. The chastened boy really did look very pitiful sitting in the large chair in front of his desk, but there were still a number of issues he needed to air and he did not see any advantage in postponing until a later time.

"If you were struggling so badly in Astronomy why didn't you come to me for help?"

Harry shrugged.

"A shrug is not an acceptable answer Harry, you know better than that." Severus admonished.

"I don't know really, I guess I was a bit... well... embarrassed... when I couldn't do it and everyone else could and..." Harry trailed off.

"You need never be embarrassed or ashamed Harry. If you need help you come to me, no matter what it is, alright?"

"Yes Sir." Harry nodded as he replied.

"To that end, you are to come here as soon as your classes have finished for the day and we will spend an hour studying every day until you have caught up with your work. You are also going to bring me your current assignments for _all _classes for checking at least three days before they are due so that I may mark them and return for re-writing if necessary. And no pocket money for two weeks. Are we clear young man?"

"Yes Sir." Harry said dejectedly.

"Now, you said you received 'O's in your Defence homework yet your grade is an 'E'. Are you having trouble mastering the spells?"

"I guess, it's hard to concentrate in Defence class 'cos the garlic smell gives me a headache."

"You've been experiencing headaches all year and you never said anything?!" Severus barked incredulously. _Why did the boy insist on keeping everything to himself?_

"I'm sorry! I didn't think it was important, other people said they didn't like the smell either so I never thought much about it, I didn't... I'm sorry Dad."

Severus took a deep breath to calm himself, Harry was getting really upset now and looked like he was struggling not to cry.

"Is there anything else I should know Harry?" Severus asked softly, wanting the boy to calm down. He checked the time quickly and found lessons were to begin in just under fifteen minutes.

Harry shook his head but kept his face lowered at the same time and Severus sighed loudly.

"Right, you'd better get to class. I will see you this afternoon."

"Yes Sir." Harry mumbled, hopping off the chair and fleeing the office in a blur of black robes.

OoOo

_How could he mess up so badly? Damnit! Stupid Harry! So stupid!_ Harry wrapped his knuckles against the side of his head in frustration. _Why hadn't he tried harder? He could have put more effort in, Professor Snape had done so much for him and all he had asked in return was to do his best with his schoolwork and he hadn't! Snape had even adopted him and become his Dad and now he was so disappointed... He would work extra hard from now on, improve his grades, not get into any trouble, and most of all, be a good son and make his Dad proud of him. No more pranking... oh! No! No, no, no, no, NO! The prank on the Ravenclaws! Snape would find out, how could he not! How could he be so stupid!_

Harry entered the charms classroom with a deep sense of foreboding. Professor Flitwick was head of Ravenclaw House and no doubt knew his students had been pranked, the only question left was whether or not the tiny Professor knew that Harry was responsible. Professor Flitwick stood rigidly, his face unusually stern and Harry got a sinking feeling in his stomach. Once everyone was seated Flitwick began telling them about the 'Lumos' spell and demonstrated the wand movement needed. Although he seemed a little angry the man did not cast any glares or issue any scathing comments and so Harry visibly relaxed as the class progressed, it seemed that the tiny wizard was oblivious to Harry's involvement in the prank. _Maybe, just maybe, I can get away with this._

He was quickly disabused of that notion however when he was accosted by Fred and George in the corridor as he was on his way to lunch. Assuring his friends that he would join them momentarily, he allowed the twins to manoeuvre him into an empty classroom and was about to ask them just what they thought they were doing, but the words died on his lips when he took in their grave expressions.

"He knows. Snape knows."

"We're really sorry Harry."

"He had us and Ravens for potions-"

"First thing this morning-"

"They were all squeeking-"

"It was hilarious to begin with-"

"But then the Ravens got angry when everyone-"

"Was laughing at them and a couple of hexes got thrown-"

"And that's when Snape _really _lost it."

All the colour drained from Harry's face as the realisation of the chaos he had brought to his Dad sunk in.

"Does... does he know?" Harry choked out.

"He knows."

"We've got a week of detention,"

"He said he wants to see you at the entrance to the Great Hall at lunch."

"Speaking of which-"

"We'd better go Harry-"

"Best not keep him waiting."

The twins gave him a sympathetic smile as Harry flexed his hands into a fist and took some deep breaths. Sensing his reluctance, the twins each put a comforting arm around his scrawny shoulders and gently pulled him back out into the corridor.

"Come on Harry, it won't be that bad."

Harry wasn't so sure, it wasn't that he feared the punishment so much, he just didn't think he could survive seeing the look of disappointment on his Dad's face. _He was such a screw-up!_ He nudged the twins arms from around his shoulders and gave them a grateful smile before skulking off towards the Great Hall ahead of the red-heads, already feeling decidedly nauseas.

His Dad was there, just as they had said, and he was looking murderous. Students were entering the Great Hall giving the dour man as wide a berth as humanly possible. Harry's legs felt like jelly and it felt like a great big stone had settled itself in the pit of stomach. He took a few deep breaths before he stepped forward shakily into Snape's view. It was but a moment before the man spotted him and in a swirl of robes Snape had bounded across the short distance and grasped his shoulder forcefully before Harry had the chance to blink.

"Come with me." Snape growled, turning Harry and marching him over to a quiet corner in the entranceway. He cast a spell which Harry guessed would give them privacy then stared down at Harry with a fiery gaze.

"I'm sorry." Harry choked out, already feeling a stinging behind his eyes.

"Oh you will be Harry. Just what were you thinking?!" Snape bellowed, causing Harry to shrink back against the wall. Snape must have seen how scared he felt because he turned away for a moment and when he turned back to face him he looked a little calmer.

"Obviously I cannot trust you to spend your free time wisely, Harry. When you are not with me you are confined to the common room for the rest of the week, and when you report to my office this afternoon you will bring with you any prank potions you still have, along with the book and… your broom. No flying for two weeks."

Harry's heart sank, he had lost the man's trust, and his broom. Being confined to the common room was bad enough, and having to do all the extra work to make up for slacking off would be difficult, but no flying? His Dad must be _really_ angry.

"Well?" Snape asked.

"Yes Sir, I understand." Harry replied in a small voice, hanging his head in shame.

"Right, go to lunch Harry."

Harry shuffled off into the Great Hall and took his seat next to Teddy.

"You ok mate?" Teddy asked as soon as he was seated.

Harry shook his head, not quite trusting his voice just now. Harry looked up just in time to see Snape stalking through the Hall up to the teachers table still looking incredibly furious. He darted a quick look around and noted that almost every student was watching the Potions Professor warily.

"What happened Harry?" Teddy asked in a concerned tone.

"I pranked the Ravenclaws with the Weasley twins." Harry admitted quietly.

"Merlin Harry! What were you thinking? You know the twins are always in trouble! Is that why Snape looks livid?"

Harry nodded as his cheeks coloured, "and some of my grades aren't very good."

"Shit Harry, what did he do?"

"I have to do loads of work with him to make up my grade before the end of term exams and I'm confined to the common room for a week… and I'm banned from flying for two weeks." Harry admitted.

"He grounded you? For two weeks? That's harsh."

"I let him down." Harry said, fighting back the fresh onslaught of tears that had been threatening to leak since the twins had informed him of his fate.

Teddy saw his distress and put a comforting arm around his shoulder and speaking quietly in his ear, "It'll be ok Harry, kids mess up. Once he calms down he'll be much better, he knows kids make mistakes Harry, he'll forgive you quickly, don't worry too much alright?"

Harry nodded and gave Teddy a weak smile. _Merlin, he hoped Teddy was right. Right now he felt like scum. He had never had anyone care enough about him to be disappointed in him before, and right now he wasn't certain he preferred it. No, it was his own fault he felt like this, if he hadn't been so stupid…_

"Err, Harry?" Teddy said, interrupting Harry's self-recriminations.

"What?"

"Snape's staring at you." Teddy said sympathetically.

Harry looked up to the teachers table and squirmed a little under Snape's intense gaze.

"I think he wants you to eat Harry." Draco piped up from his seat across from them.

Harry looked down, only just realising that he had yet to put anything on his plate. A fresh bout of nausea hit him when he looked at the food on the platters in front of him.

"I don't want anything, I think I'm gonna be sick." Harry groaned.

"You need to eat something Harry." Teddy said.

Harry looked up to the staff table once more then quickly dropped his head when he saw Snape was still staring at him. He sighed resignedly and reached out for a ham sandwich which he then proceeded to nibble on slowly, lest his stomach reject it.

OoOo

_Had he been too harsh? Was confiscating his broom going a little too far? Well, it was too late now. At the time he had been livid, but seeing how upset the boy was - and fearful - Merlin that was the last thing he needed; for Harry to be afraid of him! The pitiful child's crestfallen face had almost broken his resolve - almost. For a second there all he had wanted to do was to pick the scrawny little thing up and hug him and tell him it was alright. But Harry had done wrong and he needed to be accountable, he needed consistent punishment lest he grow up to be an arrogant, law-breaking fool. _

He had watched Harry reluctantly eat his lunch before he had scurried away leaving his friends to finish their meals. Harry was clearly very upset and had obviously taken everything he had said to heart. Severus gave up on his own lunch and headed back down to his dungeon classroom in preparation for his next class.

It was fifteen minutes after the last class of the day let out that Harry entered Severus' office carrying his broom in one hand and a quart bottle in the other. He approached the desk warily and deposited the broom and bottle in front of Severus, then reached into his book bag and brought out another bottle and the book, placing them both down carefully before turning his gaze to the floor.

"You had Defence as your last class today, did you not?" Severus asked.

"Yes Sir." Harry replied, not lifting his gaze.

"Do you have a headache?"

"It's ok Sir." The boy shrugged.

"Harry, look at me."

Slowly, the boy complied and Severus could see the deeply troubled look in Harry's eyes.

"Do you have a headache?"

"A bit Sir, but it's not bad." Severus noted how stiffly Harry was standing and that he had yet to speak more informally to him. The boy obviously needed a little reassurance before he gave himself a panic attack. He got up and went to his potions store cupboard, retrieved a headache reliever and gave it to Harry.

"Headache reliever, take it Harry." Severus said softly.

"Thanks." Harry replied with a slightly surprised expression.

"Harry, although I am disappointed with your recent behaviour, I am not angry at you. I understand that you are a child and you will make mistakes, it is my job to point out to you those mistakes and punish you so that you do not repeat them. Do you understand Harry?"

"You're not mad?" Harry asked hopefully.

"I'm not, do you understand why you are being punished?"

"Yessir. I was stupid and I could have hurt people with my prank, and I didn't try my best even though I promised you I would. I'm really sorry Dad, I'll do anything to make it up to you."

"I know you will Harry, I know you will." Severus gave the boy a small reassuring smile before seating himself once more behind his desk.

"Now, let's begin shall we? I believe you were given a grading of poor for your history essay on the Werewolf Code of Conduct. You can start with that. Have you brought your text?"

"I'll go get it." Harry said, slipping down from his chair.

"No matter, I have one here." Severus said, opening his drawer and retrieving the proffered text.

"If there's anything you don't understand, I want you to ask me alright?"

"Yes Sir."

Once Harry had settled down to his studying Severus began to mark his 3rd year potions essays, relieved to see the child had visibly relaxed. After an hour Severus dismissed Harry for dinner and told him to come down to the classroom at 6pm. The Weasley twins were going to be busy scrubbing cauldrons for a good couple of hours this evening while Harry finished his Werewolf essay and got started on some Herbology work.

By Friday night, Harry had almost made up all his work in History of Magic and was well on the way to achieving an exceeds expectations in Herbology, but Astronomy was proving to be a much more difficult subject for the boy to master. Severus did not want to tutor the boy whilst in the company of other students, not only because they could be a distraction, but also because he did not want to cause the boy further embarrassment. For this reason, he sent the twins to serve their detention with Filch while Harry was instructed to report to his quarters after dinner.

Severus laid out an Apothecary catalogue, a book on brewing medicinal potions and some pieces of parchment on the kitchen table. No sooner had he done that than Harry came bursting through the door waving his own piece of parchment above his head.

"Dad! I got an exceeds expectations in my latest History essay! Look!" The boy said excitedly, thrusting the essay into his hands. Severus scanned it quickly and took note of the mark at the bottom before giving the boy the praise he craved. He allowed Harry to bask in his happiness for a minute or so before turning to the project Harry would be doing tonight.

"I thought we would do something a little different tonight Harry."

"Oh?" Harry said, sitting down at the table when Severus indicated to him. The boy quickly noticed the objects in front of him.

"You have in front of you a price catalogue for the Apothecary at Diagon Alley and a medicinal potions text. I want you to find what ingredients are needed to brew a standard pain reliever and a burn salve. I then want you to use the catalogue to calculate the cost of buying the ingredients for each potion and compare it with the retail price - those are found at the back of the catalogue. Understand?"

"Yes Dad." Harry replied, then got straight to work by opening the potions book to the contents and searching for the required potions. Severus noted with pleasure that Harry found his way around the catalogue quickly and with ease, it wasn't long before the boy put down his quill and looked up at Severus expectantly.

"I've finished Dad."

"Very good, now here," Severus placed another catalogue in front of Harry, "is a catalogue for buying plant seeds. I want you to find which ingredients can be grown and calculate the cost of brewing the same two potions if you were to grow the ingredients yourself. Obviously not all ingredients can be grown, so you will need to add on the cost of those ingredients which must be bought."

Harry obediently set to work while Severus finished marking the last of the 3rd year essays.

"I'm done Dad." Harry said after only twenty minutes.

"Oh, and what did you find?" Severus asked, setting down his quill.

"Well, if you grow your own stuff you can save like six galleons on the burn salve! And if you sell it, you make twelve galleons profit! On one cauldron's worth! You must be paid an awful lot to teach here if you'd rather this than just brew and sell potions!"

Severus gave out a small chuckle, glad that Harry had understood the reason for the assignment but also his rather frank assessment of Severus' vocation and current career.

"What? What's so funny?" Harry asked defensively.

"Nothing Harry, that's a very insightful conclusion to draw. I'm proud of you son. However, there is one more thing you need to take into consideration when growing your own ingredients. Can you guess what that is?"

Severus watched as the boy screwed his face up deeply in thought. He could not help the smile that adorned his face at seeing how proud Harry looked when he had given him that small amount of praise.

"Time?" Harry said uncertainly.

"Correct, well done Harry. I can see you have a good head for business young man." Severus ruffled Harry's hair playfully before directing the child into the living room for a relaxed evening with hot chocolate and light conversation. The boy had certainly taken his punishment seriously and had worked diligently throughout the week to show Severus just how much he wanted his trust and acceptance, and without a single complaint too. He sincerely hoped Harry would not forget this incident quickly, and held high hopes that his son would grow to be a well-rounded young man.

OoOo

Harry spent most of his weekend in the Library ensuring his current assignments were completed to the best standard he was capable of. His endeavours had been aided by a very helpful if not slightly annoying Hermione Granger, who had given him some helpful tips on essay structure and 'skimming' texts for information. There had been a tense moment when Teddy and Draco had arrived to do some of their own studying but Hermione had quickly mumbled an excuse and left the three Slytherins to their work. Harry was tempted to give Draco a piece of his mind regarding his silly prejudice but decided against it, he really needed to study and arguing with Draco would no doubt make him too angry to concentrate. He was also reluctant to become at odds with his friend as he remembered all too well how it felt having no friends and so he had let the matter go and enjoyed the rest of his study time with his friends beside him in the comfort of the light and airy room.

The following week passed quickly for Harry, Snape had gotten him to memorize some constellations and draw them at different angles to help him recognise them no matter which angle they were presented at. He had also given him some tips about astronomy in general and they had worked on some exercises to help him focus on the brighter stars, making the dimmer ones to fade almost into non-existence – which had helped immensely with his practical work. By the end of the week Harry was exhausted from all the extra work he had done but at the same time felt very proud of his achievements. This was reinforced on the Friday evening when his Dad had given him his broom back and told him that he was proud of him, but also gave him a warning to make sure he didn't become 'complacent about his studies again'. Harry had promised he wouldn't and had agreed to continue bringing his completed essays for checking before he handed them in.

He had seen the twins briefly on a couple of occasions and Harry was relieved to find that they still greeted him warmly despite the punishment they had been given by his Dad, obviously they did not blame Harry for any of it. His Dad had warned him about the twins 'penchant for trouble' and that he had better not allow himself to become influenced by the 'foolish Gryffindor's'. Harry could see the man's point and although he did want to remain friends with the twins he thought it best to keep their associations to a minimum for the time being, lest he upset his Dad again.

_A week later..._

Everything was perfect for Harry; he was getting along well with his Father, his grades were much improved, he had great friends in Teddy and Draco and Marcus Flint had continued his 'big brother' friendliness with him. He had also loved being back on his broom – he had been out on the pitch almost every night for the past week practising with his team-mates ready for their upcoming Quidditch game against Hufflepuff. It was their last game of the season and a win would almost guarantee them the House Cup, and Harry was determined to make his House (and his Dad) proud.

The match took place on a warm sunny day with only a slight breeze in the air. The whole school was out watching and the noise level seemed louder than usual. Harry knew the Hufflepuff seeker would be a decent match for him and so he paid little attention to what was happening in the match and instead concentrated all his effort on finding the snitch. It was after a frustrating half hour that Harry finally spotted the tiny flash of gold across the horizon and followed it surreptitiously with his eyes, flying towards the snitch in a nonchalant way so as not to attract the attention of the other seeker.

As soon as he was within fifty feet Harry pointed his broom and set off at break-neck speed after the snitch, ghosting the path of the tiny golden orb. In less than a minute Harry had caught up to the snitch and grasped at it with his arm outstretched to the limit of his reach. Closing his gloved hand around the snitch Harry let out a triumphant 'whoop' of joy and pulled up, hovering in mid-air high above the stadium with the snitch held above his head. His team-mates were quick to circle around him yelling in triumph as the crowds erupted far below them. Harry basked in his glory for a few minutes with his team-mates before going down and dismounting on the pitch, closely followed by the other players from both teams. Spectators were hurriedly making their way down from the stands to join them on the pitch and Harry smiled proudly up at Marcus Flint, who playfully ruffled his hair before grabbing him and hoisting him up into the air with ease.

Seconds later, Harry was carefully deposited back on the ground as all the colour left the older boys face.

"What is it Marcus?" Harry asked, suddenly concerned at the look of horror now adorning the boy's features.

In lieu of a verbal reply Marcus pointed behind Harry, who turned and gasped at the sight before him. Harry absently noted that the noise level had dulled immensely as other students turned to see the chilling sight before them.

A large nest of snakes were at the far end of the pitch near the dark forest, slithering quickly towards the group of students. Harry stood stock still, pushing down the fear inside him. _He could talk to snakes, he had done so at the zoo that time. He could do this, he would just ask them why they were here, what they wanted. If nothing else it would give everyone time to get off the pitch and to safety._

Harry stepped forward boldly as the snakes approached and spoke up loudly.

"_Stop! Please don't come any closer!" _Harry pleaded.

"_You speak?" _The lead snake asked wonderingly, obeying Harry.

"_I do. Tell me, why are you here, on the pitch?"_

"_We have been instructed to kill the walker with the golden orb, for with it he will upset the balance of nature."_

"_The golden orb?"_

"_In your hand, walker."_ Harry looked down worriedly and found he was still holding the snitch. Anger began to rise from the pit of his stomach at the implication of someone telling snakes to kill him, knowing he would be the one to catch the snitch.

"_Who told you this?"_

"_The walker with the purple cloth."_

"_He lies."_

"_How do we know it is not you who lies?" _Harry considered the question, unsure of how to prove his innocence.

"_I'll give you the orb if you like, it is of no importance to me. It does not belong to me, or to anyone. Have you never seen wizards play sports with these things before?"_

"_We have."_ The snake replied a little unsurely.

"_So why would this one be any different?" _The snake cocked its head to the side slightly as if in thought.

"_I see your point young walker."_

"_I think you'd better go, people are getting a bit tetchy and I don't want anyone to get hurt."_

"_Very well, young walker. We will leave, with the orb. Better to be safe than sorry."_

Harry nodded and knelt down, rolling the snitch along the grass towards the lead snake. The snake grasped it in his mouth and without further ado, slithered away back towards the forest, closely followed by the rest of the nest.

Harry watched until they were at a safe distance before turning round to face his team-mates, but his face fell when he saw that nearly half the school were now congregated on the pitch, all staring at him as if he'd grown an extra head.

"What?" Harry asked apprehensively, scanning the crowd for a friendly face. Everyone was gaping at him, a look of sheer horror on their faces. Harry took a nervous step backwards away from the crowd, confusion and fear coursed through him in equal measure and threatened to expel the meagre contents of his stomach.

"What's wrong? Marcus?" Harry asked timidly, turning to his prefect for help.

Marcus stood staring at him, his mouth opened and closed again silently and Harry began to panic. Just then a swirl of black robes came barrelling towards him, moving seamlessly through the crowd and Harry took a deep breath, hoping his Father would shed some light on the situation. A moment later Snape stood directly in front of Harry, blocking his view of the crowd. Snape had a stony expression but his hand came to rest gently on his shoulder in a reassuring gesture.

"Dad?" Harry asked fearfully.

"Come on Harry, let's go." Snape said quietly, gently manoeuvring him back towards the Castle.

"Don't just stand there gawping like goldfish! Move!" Snape bellowed menacingly to the crowd of students before him, keeping a hand on Harry's shoulder.

The students stepped aside carefully, clearing a path through the crowd. Harry fought against the stinging sensation behind his eyes that signalled the onslaught of tears as he walked quickly, resisting the urge to break into a run. He took deep breaths and focused his eyes on the ground immediately in front of him, he did not want to look at the horrified faces of his fellow students.

After what seemed like an age they had finally reached the dungeons and Snape led him into their quarters. Finally feeling a little less anxious now he was in the sanctuary of their rooms Harry cleared his throat and turned to face his Dad.

"What's wrong Dad? Why were they all acting like that?" Harry asked.

Snape indicated for Harry to take a seat, which Harry did so without hesitation and waited patiently whilst the dark man took his own seat and levelled Harry with a sombre expression.

"Are you aware you were talking to a snake Harry?"

"Yes of course! Why wouldn't I be aware? What's so wrong about it?" Harry asked defensively.

"Nothing's wrong Harry, it's just that it is a very rare gift. Very few wizards have that ability."

"Oh."

Snape cleared his throat uneasily before continuing, as if he wasn't sure he should say anymore.

"There is only one other wizard in living memory who possessed that particular gift..."

"Who?" Harry asked quizzically.

"The Dark Lord."

Harry felt his entire world turn upside down, every nerve ending screamed at him as darkness clouded his vision – then everything went black.

_Next Chapter - Quirrell_


End file.
